The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-07-19


Swedish Bernadottes as the executive
head of its government, the Norwegian
government is already republican in
everything but its form, and, while in
some respects it Is more radically re-
publican than Minnesota or Kansas,
under its constitution, originally mod
eled on that of the French republic, it
abolished all titles Of nobility and all
other titles except such as belong to
holders of office during their incum-
bency. The storthing, which repre-
sents the ancient general assembly of
the people, out of which the American
congress developed, is closer to the
American congress than is the parlia-
ment of any European country which
recognizes the principle of royalty. 1t
repudiates royalty as a principle and
governs Norway under the c0nstitu-
tional theory that the people Of Nor
way themselves are the source of all
power and the authority for all law in
Norway. 1t is this theory which has
been acted on in repudiating the king
Norway, and if there is Intervention"
by Germany and other powers now, as
has happened before, twill be largely
for the purpose of keeping this theory
in such check that it will not spread
beyond Norway and interfere with eX-
listing conditions in the mOnarchical
governments of Europe.
Under Norwegian law and the exist
ing constitution the action of the Nor
wegian congress is not in literal
sense a separation" from Sweden, as
the two governments were completely
separated before i'll everything except
having the same king. who, as king of
Sweden, claimed the right, always de
MED by Norway. Of acting wholly for
Norway in it's foreign affairs.
This was the point at issue in the
consular representation" the king de
MED. In his view, allowing the appoint
ment of a single Norwegian consul
would have admitted its contention Of
its own complete sovereignty. In the
Norwegian view, this sovereignty has
always existed because it is not a vas
sal state or d province of Sweden, but
"sister state" with its own govern
ment and laws distinct from those or
Sweden and in league with Sweden
under a common king for common
object. It was because the king of
Sweden seemed to be insisting on put
ting Norway in the attitude OF vassal
state of Sweden that the Norwegian
storthing in 1898 voted to remove the
union jack or emblem of union with
Sweden, from the Norwegian flag
In one respect at least the 'epublic-
anism of Norway is more advanced
than that of any other country. The
two houses of parliament are intended
to be a sufficient check upon each 9th
er without an executive veto. If they
disagree upon measure when voting
separately, they meet i'll joint session,
and unless they can so agree or so
amend as to secure a twO-thirds ma
jcrity the measure fails. After they
have once passed an act it goes into
effect as soon as the executive signs
and promulgates it. If it pockets" it.
Norwegian statesmen hold that this re-
fuSal does not amount to veto, since
under the constitution if the same act
is repasSed at the succeeding session
and he again refuses to sign it it be-
comes a law at once on its passage for
the third time. This one provision OF
itself was sufficient to vest the su
preme power OF last resort in govern
ment in the hands OF the Storthing
rather than of the king Of Sweden. Inc
kings Norwegian cabinet, two resi-
dent at his court, the others in Nor
way, were also made fully responsible
to the storthing, and if it disapproyed
any recommendation Of theirs or voted
down the policy they proposed to carry
out, they were bound by law to resign
III another feature the storthing
goes beyond even American prece-
dents. After its members have been
elected by the voters Of districts cor
responding to our own congressional
districts, they themselves elect the up
per house or senate, choosing one
fourth of their own number to sit as
senators to pass on all acts sent up
from the lower house, in which all acts
originate. In order to avoid govern
ment by the chair" the storthing
changes it's speaker once every four
weeks during it's annual session OF
about six months.
With free education, light taxation
and almost no burden for military
service the Norwegians during the past
quarter of a century have been one OF
the best governed people in the world.
They have been satisfied with King
Oscar in everything except bis refusal
to acknowledge what they claim as
their full statehood under their constl-
tuition adopted in installing the Berna-
dottes as their reigning family Inc
literary leader of the agitation for fulI
Norwegian separation from Sweden
has been the famous writer Bjoernson'