The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-20
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
Lawrenee.)

/ Compiled by II. ". Lawrence.)
! The remark is often made that the in
itiative and referendum might work in a
little country like Switzerland, but it
would not be practical in this county.
Switzerland is composed of twenty-five
cantons (states): it has a population of
about 100000 people. and there is prob
ably no place on earth so unfavorable for
the trial of direct legislation as Switzer-
land. 1t Is the most heterogeneous nation
on the globe. We think that in the United
states we have a mixture Of all the races.
languages, religions. and conditions Of
men, but we are not mixed up as the
SWISS 1t is the meeting ground of all
the races of Europe. According to its
last census. it held 634 613 French. 49, $50
Italian, 2,0S3,097 German, IS .335 of an al
most extinct race, the Roman people,
speaking the Roman language, besides
SlaVs, Bohemians. Huns, Jews. etc. The
last constitution was printed in five Ian
guageS, and there are two federal official
languages, French and German while in
some OF the cantonal (states) legislative
mans three and four languages are spOk-
en- II was the fighting ground OF the
B2pan and Protestant religions. In its
teH1tory is Constance. where the cele-
DRAFTED Roman Catholic council of that
name was held, and Geneva, where Calvin
once ruled with rod Of iron. In 1913 there
was bitter internal religious war. By
the last census 1,7l6,548 are Professionals
and 11S3,62S are Catholics. In nine can
tons the Roman Catholic religion is the
ofaclal state religion; in six CantOns both
the Roman and Protestant are officially
established and supported; in I'VE can
tons there are three state churches, and
Neuchatel officially supports three, and
an Israelitish society
1t is divided by high mountain ranges
which have not been pierced by railroads
until recently, and the inhabitants of va
TlouS valleys are more foreign and alien
TO each other than if separated by thou
milk r. fc rT-I H. .rf1.f saF
lie. In some sections 1t is pastoral and
primitive, the people living by farming
ana sheep and goat raising. others depend
on the tourists business. and then there
are large manufacturing cities with all
their attendant problems. Switzerland
embraces every condition Of life, from
the pastoral, primitive and Unspecialized
10 the manufacturing and highly special
lied.
Less than a century ago all forms of
government could be found in Switzerland.
In the mountainous cantOns was the pure
democracy or direct legislation. In others
an aristocracy or the rule of a class, in
others a monarchy in the reign of a duke
or lord, abbot or bishop. In some cantons
the city ruled over the country: in others
part OF one canton ruled over part of an
other. As nation it really only dates
back to 1S4S, when the national canstitu-
ton was adopted.
/ Direct legislation has bound this di-
verse group of races, languages, religions.
conditions of life and governments into a
unified nation with a strong national feel
Ing. Voting on the laws by which they
are governed has been a real and vital
commission or common action Uniting
them into one people. Direct legislation
in Switzerland with all of its diversified
interest Of nationality, religion and former
conditions has given the people social and
economical freedom. and majority rule.
It has banished official despotism. Off
Gals are no longer masters, but the serv-
ants Of the people Landed monopolies no
( longer exist. The people control the
money question and the railways. Public
/ utilities are managed in the interest of
( the people. Labor is employed and old
! age pensions granted to the infirm. They
I have oVerthrOwn mOnopolies, reduced
taxation, extended the facilities of
education and purified the press, and in
TACT demonstrated that government is for
humanity instead Of a selfish few.
What the cantOns (states) of Switzer-
/ land have done for the people Utah can
do, and in national reforms our govern
ment can far exceed what she has accom-
Plished, as we have better facilities and
/ greater national resources.