The age-herald., 1897-11-21


 largest island in Norway, being one of the group callsd the Lofoten islands on the northwest coast of Norway They further point to the history used in the Same seheelS-a. history which, by the way, Is most peculiar fcr the many things 1t does hot ini ntiOn-1n which 1t is stated that Karl Johan in 1874 in a very snort time conquered the province of Norway. These things ,th= Norwsg ans say, plainly show what they may x pect from that quarter If chance is glv- en. Now the Norwegians dearly love their country, they are proud of it's his tory, of their spl ndid constitution and democratic form of government, proud of their literature and their great men, and have To desire to case to exist as a nation, and least of all they have a desire to become Swedes. A close union with Sweden would ultimately mean this, for they say if you give the devil one finger he will soon have the whole body. A close union with Sweden the Norwe- gians say would put them back a couple of centuries, as the institutions and gov ernment of Sweden are, with the exc D. tlon of those Of Russia, the most con servatlve and antiquated in Europe, while those of Norway are among the most democratic and modern. In Swed on there is class distinction with sharp drawn lines. There is a powerful titled nobility. landed arstocracy. very pow rful clergy, etc. Many of the pub lie offices, and most of those in the army. are occupied by the nobility. The king has an absolute veto power, the legisla- ture has two houses. Only 61a per csnt. l of the total population has the right of suffrage. and in all elections, except for members to the lower house in the riksdag the F per cent. controls the elections.
 Suffrage PecuIiarities in Sweden It will thus be seen that suffrage in Sweden is very much restricted, and it has, furthermore. many peculiar phases. According to paragraph IA of that part of the Swedish constitution which re- lates to the rilksdag, the right to vote for members to the lower house is linn ited to those who either (a) own real estate in country or city to the taxed value of at least 1000 kronsr; CT (b) for life or for period of not less than five years rent land to the taxed value of at least 5000 kroner; or Co are paying direct ta2ss to the state from an annual income of at least 800 kroner. To be eligible to the lower house one must be a voter. According to paragraph 9 to be eligible to the upper house one must be 35 years of age and must have owned fer a period of not less than five years real estate to the tax value of at least SO0G0 kroner or for the same period raid taxes from yearly income of at least 1000 kroner. Should a ms mber of
 
 lreduced to such state that he would no longer be eligible, then he must im- mediatsly resign. They are elected for term of eight years, and are repre- senting the large cities and the counties. In the large cities they are elected by the city councils, and in the counties by the lads council. The membs IFS to these councils are elected, some indirectly through electors, some directly by the townships in the counties, and by the x1yor ord- lin Diff fac Chn rio fD vol for these councilmen, and at all other local elections, and on matters that are not reserved for certain classes, Is, by paragraph 10 of that part of the Swedish constitution that relates to city and Township government, (a) granted to ev- cry reputable Swedish citizen who pays taxes (b) the same right of suffrage is granted corporations. Further. accord ing to paragraph Il (a) guardian votes for his ward; (b) for corporations and for property owned by several the one appointed to represent each such cor poration or common property at the elec- tion votes. Further, according to para graph 12, whoever has the right of suf- frage (be it person or corporation) has one vote for one krone (27 cents) or less paid in taxes, and over and above that one vote for every krone paid in taxes to the state. And, lastly, according to paragraph 13, whoever has the right of suffrage may transfer their right to any OlntT tI)= TSDI OT CUIpO dllOflJ NIlO HdS tIlS right of suffrage. Thus it will be seen that the government of Sweden has some very peculiar phases; that whereas the representative governments of most eth- CT countries are repress ntative of indi- vidua!s that of Sweden is representative of property and income. Thus there are districts in Sweden where one man has or controls as many as 500 votes, more than all the other voters together. He casts his own votes, and those of the different corporations and companies he owns or controls, and the votes of part of the employ;s of these. The Norwe- gians are we'll aware of this state of af- fairs in their neighborhood, and con- stantly keep 1t in mind.
 Local Incident
 Thus in most of the Norwegian papers this week may be read an account of an incident that occurred at local election held last week near Hadiskvall, Sweden. A man with four votes" came to the polling place to cast these. As he had delivered his votes, the representative at the election of one of the large facto- ries steped up and demanded that this mans four votes be thrown out, as the corporation that he represented had con- tracted with all its employees at the time of employing that it 6he corporat.on) should own and control thsir votes, and this man was an employe of this cor poratior. The mans votes were there- upon rejected. @
 In Norway everything is entirely diff fsrent. Here nobility was abolished quarters of a century ago; here is no landed aristocracy no class dis tinction. Those from the most humble stations may come to the highest offices in the land. Ths king has only suspen- sive veto power. The storthing or leg islature has but one house; the right Of suffrage is about universal in local cleo tions, and will, in all probability be | made so also in elections of storthings- men by the next storthing. It is said here that the leaders in Sweden fear the democratic institutions and the liberal party here, because the masses of their own people, becoming more acquainted with these, would rise to demand greater share in the government of Sweden They would. therefore, had they the least of a chance, do everything in their power to check the Norwegian democracy and depopularize her gov Srnment. They are even trying to do this now, through the common king. Diverse Interests
 Norway's interests, commercial and