The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-18
SWITZERLAND NAMES
ITS NEW PRESIDENT

experience in the nrt and science OF
Federal government
/ The emolunlents of tho Office Of
president Of Switzerland arc not large
Last year they were raised from So 1000
TO $4,000 per nnnum: not however
without coed deal of oppositiou I'm
inc Federal Assembly, where there
was much denunciation OF tho alleged
waste or public funds for mere pur-
poses or show. AS tho SWISS govern
mont docs rot provide any official
residence, nor even an aquipagc for
It's chief magistrate. and az the high
pric" or living has affected even Hell
Vetia7 Federal office in the land Of the
mythical William Tell can hardly he
described as lucrative. and tho salary
OF lis President seems but a mere lea
bite when compared TO those OF Prcsi-
dent Woodrow wilson and President
Poincare
Nothing like an American prosiden-
tinl campaign takes place in Switzer-
land The election is not decided on
party Grou0ds Parties exist i'm swift
@etiand, II Is true. In tho Federal As
sembiN there is n permanent majority
OF lem ocrats. and permanent minor
NY OF conservatives, VINO. TO como cx-
tent. correspond to tho Catholic Cen
| tre party in Germany. But this party
! DIVISION never appears during the cleo
ton or the President. The presiden,
may De by race German Swiss, French
/ ."iSs' or Italian Swiss; by religion
Protestant or Catholic and In politics
either Democrat or Conservative.
mo Federal Assembly. consisting OF
, nc Two chambers Of the Federal Leg
isiature-nam ely, the State Council
ana the National Council-torctLe,
elect tho President from among ,bo
! seven members OF the so-callcd Fed
eral Council 'rho Federal CounciI Is
ciected FOR term OF threo years bv thu
rcuerai Assembly. These seven Nom
pers OF the Federal Council head tho
| seven states departments of the Fed
erai administration. They nrc not pcr-
or business "
They are chosen less with regard TO
,helr party than To their efficiency. and
IL is TINS that also guides the Federal
assembly III tho election Of tho Presi-
dent. Thus in spite of the Democratic
majority In the Federal Assembly. the
new Vice President. who was elected
unanimously. Or Giuseppe Motta, is a
Conservative and a dcvout Catholic.
In accordance with time -honorod pre-
cedcnt, ne will be elected 10 succeed
| colonel liofmann u3 chief magistrate
or the republic next December. for the
term commencing on January 1915.
AS general rule. the election of the
President is unanimous That OF Col
oncl llofmann was not. The number
OF mcnbcrs voting against him was
too small. however. TO cause him TO
hesitate about accepting the office.
There have been cases whore Il Presi-
dent has refused to accept his election,
on account OF the extent of the opDo-
sition: and in 1881 Fridolin Anderwert
was so distressed hy tho relatively
small majority by which lie had been
elected. Interpreting the adverse vote
as a lack OF confidence in his ntcg-
rity and capacity, that lie committed
suicide on tho very eve Of tho COM
mencemcnt of what was TO have been
his term of office.
Sometimes tho Presidents OF swift
zorland arc men of great culture.
breeding and even wealth: while
others despite their invariablc per-
sonal dignity. have not belonged TO the
Same class OF society. THUS. :he lajo
Sir Horace Rumbold. who was for go
many years british minister at lSor g.
ana who retired from tho diplomatic
service as ambassador Mt the court of
Austria, relates in his "Reminiscences"
how. in calling one day ut the house
of tho thon President OF the swiss re-
public, NJ Borne. to pay his respects.
and to leave h!a card. he was admitted,
IN response To MS ring, by mothcrIV-
looking woman, with bare arms all
covered with soapsuds. MADAME Ia
Presidents having como straight from
the family washtub to answer the
bell.
Another President was very es-
Unable hotel-kecper. and durlYg his
term of Office his son coninittsd sui
cidc. at Dion. in France. where he
WAS learning tho hotel business, in
tho capacity o: head waiter OF one of
tho obstetrics there. Another rrcs-
dent was Marx ruchet. hailing fran
Morgcs. on the Lake OF Geneva. Dur
ms his term OF office he used usually 10
be found ut night nj some of tho mod
est cabarct5 at BcrEc, where sitting In
his shirtslecves, he would play tho
national and extremely Innocent card
game OF "Joss,' the stake being geu-
orally either a cup of coffee or glass
OF wine. OF tho Canton OF Naud or OF
Ncuchatcl
Only twice n year does the President
emerge from hts relative ohscurity
The hrst time is At tho close Of the
national annual army manocuvrcs
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