The representative., 1901-11-21

people seeing no reason why they
should not continue to re-elect good
man, even though his views may not
always coincide with their own.
I'm three cantons the people have the
right Of dissolving their executive by
presenting a demand to that effect,
which is referred to the whole people,
as in the case of the Great Councils.
THE second group of cantons have
much more historic and picturesque
form of government than those we have
just been considering. In six small and
very conservative cantons, or rather in
two cantons and four half cantons, there
is a system of government known as
the Landsgemeinde.
These assemblies consist of the
whole of the adult male population, who
meet once year, and are the supreme
authority OF the canton. The power of
the Landsgemeinde is set forth in the
Constitution OF Uri (Art 15) in the fol-
lowing words: Whatever the Landsge-
meinde within the limits of its consti-
tuition ordains, is the law of the land,
and as such shall be obeyedl"
Then it continues: "The guiding prin-
ciple OF the Landsgemeinde shall be JUS
tice and the welfare of the fatherland,
not wilfullness nor the power of the
strongest.
1t differs from, an ordinary mass
meeting says Mr.. Vincent, in the re-
spect that the voter not only expresses
his political opinions, but instantly gives
effect to them. The majority does not
imply, wish, or demand the passage of
measure, but enacts it at once, and the
vote is solemn legal proceeding
THE business to be laid before the
Landsgemeinde is carefully prepared
beforehand by a council This council
is generally known as the Landrath or
Kantonsrath. Its members are not
elected at the mass-meeting, but by sep
arate electoral districts. 1t is described
by Mr.. Lowell as a sort of subsidiary
legislature which attends to all the de-
tails that cannot we'll be brought be-
fore the people. 1t passes administra-
tive resolutions, votes the smaller ap-
propriations, examines the accounts,
and appoints the minor officials.
I'm certain cantons the people elect
all the judges, from the highest to the
lowest; in others they elect the Judge
de la Paix and the members of the dis
trict court. The tendency is for the
people to extend their powers in this
direction"
Comment.--Notice particularly the
opening paragraph. The smaller Swiss
governments try things, discard what
proves poor in use, accept what is good
in use. They are not theorists with a
panacea and a beautiful scheme for
federating or reforming mankind, but
! they do that which is set before them.
They do things. They get somewhere.
The steam Of good intention is not
/ wasted in the air, as is so frequent with
u.s. making beautiful cloud effect, but
it is applied to the common concerns of
daily life, and the machinery for doing
that is direct legislation.
We reiterate in Declaration of Inde-
pendence, National Constitution and
State Constitution after State Constitu-
tion the glorious principle that the peo-
pie are sovereigns, but how rarely do
we follow it up as Berne has, with the
statement that 1T is exercised directly
by the electors and indirectly by the au-
thorities and officials" and then still
further back this up by actually making
the people supreme all the time by di-
rect legislation.
Notice next the absence of party"
How blessed would we be without that
partisan feeling which makes our poll
tics SO bitter, nasty and often void OF
results. Also how good it is to retain
experienced men in places! "But under
our system, we think a man cannot
stand more than two terms in office,
and usually he cannot. But in Switzer-
land they enjoy practically permanent
tenure" Their experience, makes them
better servants to the people; here their
experience makes them worse rulers
over the people.
Notice the last paragraph and the
last sentence in it. How often in this
country do judges thwart the will of the
people by setting up the dead words of
long dead men as superior to the needs
and wisdom of the living.