St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-21
BY LAKE LUCERNE.
AM AMERfcAE'S VISIT TO. HISTORIC,
PICTURESQUE SWITZERLAND.
FOND MEMORIES RUN ROT.

Cathedrals That Awaken Recol.
lections OF Past GIories and
Triumphs of the Church-Cen'
ter of the Catholic Faith
Among the Swiss : Patriotic
People.
Absence from home prevented me
from giving the readers of the GLOBE
their usual weekly meditation on men
and things in The old world.
Switzerland is the most mountainous
country in j ope, and in many ways
the most in. eresting. Its beautiful
likes, like unto Minnesota's Mime
tonka; its invigorating air, reminding
one of the autumnal atmosphere of the
Northwest when the first faint hint of
winter is diseernible in the breeze: the
pastoral simplicity of its people, in
strong contrast to our farmers, who are
being taught to raise hades instead Of
hogs. and the republican form of Its
government make that country an I'M
falling source of study and Of pleasure
for the American tourist.
People are fond of saying that Swift
erland has an ideal republican govern
ment. 1t may be ideal in theory; it is
tar from being ideal in action. One
significant instance is enough. AL
though the population of Switzerland
is not quite 3.0O9,000. nevertheless it has
a standing army of 100000 men,. What
an outrage upon the very first principles
of republicanism that the mountainous
of Svrit1 ario oh
PEELED by circumstances TO main tain
100000 men in mischievous idleness.
The annual assembling of the whole
people of canton for the transaction of
public business for the ensuing year
has been compared to the town meetings
of New England. A similarity exists,
but 1t is not very striking. The lands
gemeinde, or Swiss assembly, is much
more primitive. Nor Is it very general.
Of the TWENTY-FIVE which make up the
Swiss federation, this annual gathering
takes place only in two cantons and four
half-cantons. But Switzerland has in
its government one feature which is
the admiration of those who want TO
hear distinctly the voice of 4he people
in the making of their laws.
1t is what is known as the
refer endum. By virtue of this, all laws
ferred to the people for final acceptance
or rejection. 1t is also within the right
of a voter or a body of voters to initiate
proposals for legislation. After all, if
the people rule, if they be held RESPONSE
bic before the world for the success or
the failure OF certain forms of govern
ment and certain legislation, there
should be no doubt but that those are
the forms of which the people approve,
and that this legislation is of the people
rather than of the plutocrats.
Small but Beautiful.
can treat of only one Swiss town, a
small one at that; still the most remark
able town in Switzerland. That coun-
try boasts OF many beautiful and other
wise conspicuous towns. it has Basic,
proud of its ancient wealth and OF its
Old nobility; it has Zurich, a great
center of science and art; it has BerDe,
the seat of the federal government; it
has Geneva, the Rome of the Reforma-
tion," and the home of the sturdy old
refOr!ner John Calvin, who burned
Seryetus for the love of God. We must
not be too severe on the gloomy founder
of Presbylerianism for his treatment of
Servetus, because death was considered
the proper punishment Of heretcS i'll
they pleased God by prosecuting their
brethren.
Let us look at Lucerne. A glance at
it is more divine than study of heret-
zeal SQuabbleS. At first blush IL may
seem strange that small town of only
81 1000 inhabitants should have sucn a
strong attraction for Americans, who
pride themselves on the size of every
thing, even inconsistencies and frailties
included. But Lucerne is far-famed
for its picturesque scenery, and is the
recognized metropolis OF the travelling
world in Europe. Though very ancient,
it does not, and it need not, follow the
example of many European towns and
revel in departed glOries. We of the
United States look more to the living
present, and we recognize no decayed
ladies and gentlemen save such as are
in our cemeteries. In religion. Lucerne
differs from most of the other Swiss
towns, for it is Overwhelmingly Catho-
lie, and a papal nuncio dwellS there.
The Cathedral.
Unlike the great cathedrals of
Italy, the chief church of Lucerne
is by no means remarkable for
architectural adornment. 1t is remark
able for the pretentious inscription on
its great bell, and particularly for being
the proud possessor of probably the
most marvellous artificial organ in the
world. purposely write artificial or
gan, for there Is such thing as a nat
ural organ. At least, there is one. 1t is
in the Manitou cavern, near Colorado
Springs, the home of Helen Hunt Jack
son. Similar works OF art must neces-
sarily pale in the presence of this
astounding work OF nature. 1t is a
stalactite growth III the great cavern.
The organlst, raw youth from the
neighborhood, played with a light wand
upon the musical stalactites. The airs he
reveled most in were Home, Sweet
Home" and I'VE Won't Go Home IT'LL
Morning" adding as he fini shed up
with triumphant flourish, "This is
the only country in this world as grows
organs" He seemed to take a special
delight in impresSing upon his patrons
the thought that the United States was
first III this freak of a musical Instru-
ment. But to return to the organ of
Lucerne. People speak of Its human
voice and of its angelic. l have heard
the accomplished organist of the cathe-
dral of st. Leger make this far-famed