The New York herald., 1921-04-17
but nnds unfortunate elements Of weak

but finds unfortunate elements of weak
ness from the democratic point OF view.
"Elections." he writes. ''are conducted
with little respect for legality and. when
fraud falls TO secure the desired result,
a resort to force may be looked for
Not long ago the ballot boxes In one
OF the greater States were, because II
was feared that they would show a
majority for a candidate opposed to the
Government. seized by body OF police
disguised as rioters, carried of TO a dis
tance and destroyed, whereupon the
Governor OF the State exercised his oon-
stitutional right of providing for the
contingency or a loss Of ballots and ap-
pointed a Governmental candidate 70
the ONCE which the election mad been
held TO I'LL. There is plenty of ability,
and an even greater profuslcn OF ora
torical talent. among the legislators. but
intrigue rules, and, as M. Clemenceau
observed after his visit some ten years
ago. me constitution enjoys a chiefly
theoretic authority An exceptionally
skilful intriguer may. like the strong
leader who lately fell victim to as
sassination. be effective master OF the
country.
The republic is in fact an oligarchy.
not OF land owning families. like that OF
Chile, but OF such among the richer
men. whether landlords or heads OF in
dustrial, financial or commercial enter
prises as occupy themselves with poll
tics. Like all oligarchies, they use their
power for their personal benefit, yet
with some regard to national interests
also. for the Brazilians are intensely
proud OF their magnificent country and
claim for it the leadership of South
America But between soaring patriot
,srn and self-regarding schemes the well
fare OF the masses receives less atten-
ton than it needs. Something might be
done for local self-government. unfavor-
able as the conditions are, and large
extension of education Is urgently re-
auired. The traveller is surprised TO
find that in a country rich in poets and
orators there does not exist any duly
equipped university. One is sometimes
reminded of the slave States of the
American Union as they stood before
the civil war. where a Government,
nominally democratic. was really the
rule of a planter oligarchy. 1t is only
thirty-two years since slavery was abol-
ished in Brazil. Were the States OF the
temperate south. where an industrious
lie devotes to it an amount OF space
quito out OF proportion with the coun-
Try 8 BeCkTlpIQCdl 6laSA 1Acio AiC wv
population, mainly of European stock,
mas attained prosperity, to cast them
selves loose from the tropical regions In
order to form a separate republic, they
might create in time real democracy"
Healthy Tone in Swiss Politics.
1t is evident that Switzerland has won
a place apart in Lord Bryce's esteem.
paragraphs in his summing up OF the
Swiss republic:
''The so-called tone of public life Is
best conveyed by comparing 1t with
that OF other countries When the
visitor enters the halls In which the
Federal Assembly meets and watches
the proceedings and talks with the
statesmen, he notes the absence of that
air of pomp and ceremony which custom
and tradition have preserved in France
and England and Hungary. Few forms
are observed: little appears Of the dig
nifty with which the historic greatness of
country invests the men who guide
Its destinies, whatever their personal
worth. All Is plain almost to baroness.
AS In earlier centuries the courtiers and
diplomatists OF France and Austria
disparaged the republican manners of