Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-21
President Forrer of Switzerland.


economy and convenience. Each canton has
| its own constitution. They differ somewhat
| in detail, and any of them may be amended
| or revised without consulting the other can
tons. Theoretically any one of the twenty
| two cantons can withdraw from the part
nership whenever it pleases by giving proper
notice, but practically any such movement
would result the same as the attempt of the
southern states to withdraw from the
| American Union. The other cantons would
promptly whip it back into the fold regard
| less of the terms of partnership.
| The federation began in the year 1921
with three cantons. known as the forest
states" that lie around the lake OF Luz
| cerne, and to that period belongs the legend
Of William Tell, who, according to the
popular belief, was one of the leaders OF
| the movement. Within sixty years eight
other cantons had joined the partnership;
| in 1913 there were thirteen, and finally in
| 1915 the sisterhood of states numbered
twenty-five, and has remained 80 until now,
| with an aggregate population of 1920 GOO, OF
whom 1,724,957 are Protestants, 100000
Catholics and 5000 Jews.
There have been several revisions Of the
articles of copartnership. The present con-
stitution was made in 1874, the previous one
| in 1S4S The tendency for years has been
! toward Capitalization, taking away the in
| dependence of the cantons and comforting
more and more power upon the federal au-
| thorities. The federal jurisdiction has
gradually been extended by legislation also.
| AS is frequently said Of our own Congress,
| the Swiss parliament has kicked the articles
| of federation full of holes, and crawls back
| and forth through them whenever 1t wants
| to pass law that is not strictly authorized
| by its terms
The perpetual independence and neu-
| trality Of Switzerland and the inviolability
! of it's territory guaranteed by Great
| Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia and Por-
tugal by the treaty OF Paris signed IN
| 1915.
Federal and Canton Government.
The cantons correspond with our states,
and have just about as much independence
| and sovereignty. Perhaps our states have
a little more. Each canton is supreme in
| it's own local affairs in its courts, schools,
public works, ETC., etc. but at the same
| time there is an appeal from the cantonal
courts to those of the federation, there Is a
minister Of education to oversee all the
| schools of the country, and when rail-
| road crosses a boundary it becomes fed
eral affair. So long as 1t remails within
the boundaries of canton 1t is a local at
fair. But the government owns all the rail-
| ways except the funiculars which run up
| to the tops of the mountains.
The federal government is responsible for
| the peace and good order of the country.
for the conduct of its foreign affairs, for
declaring war and concluding peace. 1t
| controls the army and every citizen Is
bound to perform military service for three
years. 1t manages the mails the tele-
graph, telephone, railway and waterway
| transportation; it has the exclusive right
| to coin money, issue currency, determine
weights and measures, grant copyrights
and patents, regulate Quarantine and the
public health. 1t controls the liquor traffic.
| it has monopoly of the manufacture and
| the foreign trade and collects export and
| import duties. 1t supervises proceedings
| in bankruptcy, 1t regulates fishing, shoot
| ing and other sports. 1t controls the for
ocfo han hoU to rnfo MT
| the sources of the streams. and In detail
has really wider jurisdiction than the
federal government of the United States.
7 The receipts from all sources go into the
| federal treasury and the expense of the
public service Is paid from 1t. There is a
| law permitting citizens to obtain exemp-
| ton from military service by the payment
| of a tax, the proceeds of which go into the
| local treasury of the cantons wherever it
| is paid. The federal government controls
! the universities and all institutions for the
higher education for men and women.
The Legislative Branch.
The legislative branch Of the government
| is very much like ours, and consists of two
chambers called the federal assembly One
Of them, the council of state, consists of
forty-four members. two from each can
| ton, who are paid "a a day for terms of
three years while in attendance upon their
duties, and 8 cents mileage from and to
| their homes, from the treasures of their
cantOnS.
The other chamber. called the national
council, consists of 145 members or one
| for every 10000 population, who are elected
| by universal suffrage and secret ballot
| for terms of three years, and are paid the
same as the members OF the council OF
state, except that the money comes from
| the federal treasury. Ecclesie 5tics, both
| Professionals and Catholics. are not eligible
| for either branch of the assembly.
There are two sessions year. begin
ming the first Monday in June and the
| first Monday in December, and continuing
for two or three months. During the re-
cesses the important committees are re-
Quired to visit the different cantons In or
der to permit the people to make known
their wants and opinions A new speaker
or presiding officer Is elected at the be-
ginning of each session, and the same man
cannot be reelected without an interview
ing term
The Executive.
The executive authority is intrusted to
federal council consisting of seven MEM
bers. all OF whom are elected by a Joint
vote of the two houses. They can be re-
| elected continuously without an intermis-
p 49,