Commoner
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WILLIAH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
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,YqL"4,' Np. 3.
Lincoln, Nebraska, January 29, 1904.
Whole No. 158.
THE REPUBLIC OF SWITZERLAND V
(Copyright by New York Journal, 1903.) f
No wonder Switzerland is free. The beauty'
of the country inspires a love of native land and
the mountains form a natural fortress behind
which the Swiss people could withstand armies
many times the size of their own. Nowhere can
one find as beautiful a variety of landscape in a
day's ride by train as In Switzerland. The road
from Berne via Chiasso, on the Italian border, to
Italy passes along the shores of lakes whose
transparent waters reflect the precipitous rocks
that overhang -them; by mountain streams that
dash and foam madly as if anxious to escape from
the solitude of the hills into the companionship
of the larger waters of lake and sea, across the
gorges, around the foothills and through the nine
mile tunnerof St. Gothard that pierces the moun
tain a mile beneath the summit and then down
into the valleys that widen out from the base of
the Alps. This day's enthralling rido reminds
one of a cinematographic film, so quickly do the
Tiews change' and go different Is each from the
other. Along the lower levels are tiny farms
and vineyards, a little higher up are terraced
pastures and quaint farm houses, with gabled
roofs often residence and barn are under the
same roof! The mountain sides are scarred with
the chutes down which the peasants drag timber
on the snow. One'passes through a" great "variety
of climate in descending from the City of Mexico
to Vera Cruz, but there one does not see such a
succession of picturesque views as greets the eye
in the ride across the Alps,
One would suppose that the peqple of Switz
erland could find ample employment in supply
ing the wants of those who temporarily visit
their land, drawn by its unusual attractions for
the tourist, but to the industry of hotelkeeping
are added two that have made Switzerland fam
ous throughout the world watchmaking and
woodcarving. While watches are manufactured as
well and as cheaply in the United States as in
Switzerland, this industry is one that makes its
presence known in every city of this mountain re
public. The genius of the Swiss for woodcarving
manifests itself in innumerable ways. The cuckoo
cl$Siifcl the bear the symbol of Switzerland, as
the eagle 1b o the United States is seen in shop
windows everywhere; the bear in innumerable
postures, the clock in innumerable sizes. At
Berne I found some, wooden nut-crackers formed
in the imago of man, the lower jaw working on a
lever and crushing the nut against the upper jaw.
I observed one nut-cracker made to resemble
President Roosevelt, and another former Colonial
- that the manufacturer intended to suggest that
hese two statesmen have more nuts to crack
st now than any other men of political promi-
ince!
More interesting, however, than its scenery
its industries is the government of Switzerland,
is the most democratic government on the
e of the earth, if the word democratic is taken
KS ... - .. i , n ,. ,
mean tne ruie ot tuo peujno, jlui- iu owuzenauu.
people rule more completely than anywhere
. In some of the smair cantons the people
t at stated times and, act upon political mat
in public meeting, recalling the old town
meeting of New England,. In all the cantoris j
-and n the federal government they Jiavo the In
itiative and referendum. The latter has been in
use since 1874; the former has been adopted more
recently.
From the courteous assistant secretary of
state I learned that during the last twenty-nine
years 235 federal laws have been submitted to the
people by means of the referendum, of which 210
.wore adopted and twenty-five rejected. The total
Toting population of Switzerland is about 768,000,
and it requires a petition signed by 30,000 less
.than 5 per cent of the voting population to se
cure a referendum vote on any bill. Fifty thou
sand voters can petition for the enactment of any
desired law, and when such a petition is filed
the federal legislature can either pass the law
or refuso to pass it. If it refuses, however, its
action must be passed upon by a referendum vote.
Since the existence of this provision six petitions
have been presented, and in every case the legis
lature refused to pass the law demanded by the
petitioners. In five cases the people at ttie ref
erendum vote sustained the legislature; in otie
case the action of the legislature was overruled
by 'the voters. In this instance the people ha)d
. petitioned for the passage of a Ityw. that would
prevent the slaughter of animals for food until
after 'they had been rendered insensible.
I found that the Swiss people are so pleased
with the popular control over government given
them by the initiative and referendum, that thero
is no possibility that any party will attempt to
. attack itn although there are some that would
prefer the representative system freed from the
restraint which the initiative and referendum
give. Their arguments are, first, that the legis
lators knowing that the people can initiate leg
islation feel less responsibility; and, second, that
as the legislators' actions can be reviewed by the
people, the legislators are more timid about in
troducing needed reforms. The friends of the
initiative and referendum meet these arguments
by declaring that the legislators are really not re
lieved from responsibility, but on the other hand
are incited to action by the fact that the people
can act in the event that their interests are neg
lected by the legislature and that the timidity
suggested is only likely to prevent legislation
when the legislators themselves doubt the merit
of the proposed action.
By courtesy of the American minister, Mr.
Hill, I had the honor of meeting Dr. Adolphe
Deucher, "president of the Swiss confederation,"
as he is styled. He is of German blood, as his
name would indicate, and he is a fine represen
tative of the scholarly, big-hearted Teuton. He
is a tall, slender man, of about 60, with a ruddy
face, white mustache and scanty white hair. He
speaks with frankness and conviction and is as
simple in his manners as the humblest of his
people. He has been president once before, and
has represented his canton in the federal legis
lature. Ho lives very unostentatiously, as be
comes an official whose salary is- only $2,750 a
year. Ho receives ?250 a year more than his
colleagues in the federal council. Switzerland has
no executive mansion and the president lives in a.
modest hotel near the capltpl.
, . Three languages aro spoken in Switzerland
1 ij -French, German,"ltallan. French prevails in the:
region about Geneva, German in and about Bern
and Italian at the southeast near the Italian
border. German is perhaps dominant, If any
ono tonguo can bo said to dominate, with French
and Italian following in tho order named. The
debates in tho federal legislature aro conducted
in tho throe tongues, and aro reported therein
officially. No attempt is mado to interfere with
tho teaching ' of" tho languago that each of the
three communities desire, tho cantons being In
dependent in matters of local legislation, just
as are tho states in our country. Thero seoms to
bo no jealousy or enmity between tho different
sections except to the extent of a healthful rival
ry between them. Tho feeling of independence,
however, is so strong that no federal government
could exist without a clear recognition of tho
rights of tho component states or cantons
As a nation, Switzerland with her five million
people does not attract tho attention that neigh
boring nations do, and In a contest at arms, ex
cept upon her own soil, she could not hope to
achieve much, but in that high forum where con
science dictates and whore reason rules she is &
conspicuous member of the sisterhood of nations.
If wo beliovo tho world to bo making progress
toward nobler national Ideals, wo may expect
Switzerland to occupy- a position of increasing im
portance, for the Joy of liberty thafcTiafacter
izes her people, the democratic character of her
-institutions and tho industry of her citizens all
combine to give her assurance of increasing
prestige.
I cannot refrain here from giving expression
,to a thought that has frequently recurred to m
since my arrival In Europe. I found our ambassa
dor to England, Mr. Choato, preparing to leavo
his residence in Carlton House Terrace, London,
because of tho Imminent return of its owner, Lord
Curzon, from' India. I learned that our ambassa
dors to France have often found difficulty In find
ing suitable houses in Paris, while I found that
our minister to Switzerland, Mr. Hill, is living
in Geneva because he has not been able thus far
to find a residence in Berno, the capital. I was
also Informed that our ambassador to Italy, Mr.
Meyer, was compelled to live in a hotel in Rome
for a year after his appointment, because ho waa
unable to find a suitable house for the embassy.
The trials of our diplomatic representatives in
Europe, together 'with the high rents they are
compelled to pay for their residences, have con
vinced me that we as a people are at fault in not
providing permanent and appropriate domiciles
- for our ambassadors and ministers at foreign cap
' itals. In the great cities of Europe it is not only
impossible to rent at a moderate price a house
suitable for our embassy, but it is often difficult
to secure, a properly convenient location at any
price. It is scarcely democratic to place upon an
official an expense so great as to preclude the
appointment of a man of moderate means; nor
does it comport with the dignity of our nation to
make the choice of an ambassadorial or minis
terial residence dependent upon chanco and cir
cumstance. I have been pleased to observe that
. our representatives in Europe are conspicuous in
tho diplomatic circle at court functions because
t of their modest attire, but it is not necessary that
our ambassadors' and ministers' homes should
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