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About The Northman. (Portland, Or.) 1920-192? | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1920)
/ April 29, 1920 THE NORTHMAN 6 :— ---------------------------------------------------- ;------------------ :---------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Swiss in America -__________________________ ■___________________________________________________________________ > through these agencies, and so effectively as to be very often referred to as the “third house”. Switzerland’s experience with these measures covers a long period of continuous activity and a wider field D ECAUSE the German language is spoken by some of the Swiss people of legislation than that of any other of this country, they have been subjected country. To Americans this experience to unwarranted suspicion as being German should be of exceptional interest because sympathizers from sources not familiar of the adoption of these agencies in many with the history of Switzerland and the of the states. The initiative was first introduced into ideals of her people. There is no taint on the citizenship of a number of cantonal constitutions follow the Swiss people of this country. The ing the revolutionary movement of the purity of their patriotism is beyond thirties, and though at that time regarded question. It comes from a source by the conservatives as an extremely resembling that of the Northlands,— dangerous innovation, it gained such popu from the pure atmosphere of lofty moun lar favor that is was incorporated into the tains and the rugged character of pastoral constitution of 1848. The constitution of Switzerland was life. Switzerland also resembles the North revised in 1874, and in the years since that lands in the richness of its historical back date the people have been called to the ground. Its legendry is composed largely polls less than fifty times to vote on feder of accounts of acts of heroism and patri al initiative and referendum measures. otic devotion, of which William Tell and While cantonal and communal proposals Arnold Winkelried are examples, which also come before the electorate, the ballot have been incorporated in the universal has never been overburdened as has fre quently been the case in the United States. literature. The Northman will in time review the The populous canton of Zürich, for history of all countries of the world in instance, the largest number voted upon searching out the pure elements of Democ in one election, including both federal and racy and their application to government cantonal proposals, was nine. In 1912 but Switzerland will be considered in Ohio voted on 42 constitutional amend greater detail because it possesses unusual ments, and in 1914, 31 measures appeared interest to Americans. It is one of the on the state ballot of California. In the United States it is usual to state most conspicuous examples of conserva tive democracy among the nations of the the number of signatures required for earth and furthermore resembles the initiative and referendum petitions on a Scandinavian countries in being a labora per centage basis, while in Switzerland the tory of experiment in government, con number is fixed. The fixed number, how tributing to the instruction of the self- ever, amounts to a percentage a little more governing peoples under all the various that half the percentage prevalent in this country. republican forms throughout the world. The same methods of collecting signa The population of Switzerland is divided into four language groups. Ger tures prevails in the two countries, and man is spoken in the northern and cen the same complaints are heard with tral sections, French in the western regard to the abuse of persuasion—the use states, Italian in the south, and Romansch, of personal and political pressure. In a dialectic remnant of old Roman, by the Switzerland, as well as in this country, Grisons, who constitute a small per canvassers are sometimes employed and paid at a fixed rate for each signature centage of the population. In defiance to great obstacles the Swiss secured. Some cantons, however, require nation has been built slowly but strongly. that petitions be kept at the town hall and Situated in the center of the unprecedent voters who desire to sign must go there ed upheaval in Europe, Switzerland to do so. It will be readily seen, therefore, that maintained an irreproachable neutrality, and in the treaties and conventions the people of Switzerland have nothing in of which she has been adherent, faith has common with the imperialistic systems always been rigidly kept during the period and sympathies of the German empire and of her existence as a republic, which is that those who come to this country are more than six centuries. The original 22 not only democrats at heart, but familiar cantons, resembling our 13 colonies, were in a very large degree with our political system, and very naturally become active federally united in 1291. The initiative and referendum are and efficient citizens. usually linked together but they are not, AMERICA FOR HUMANITY. as is popularly supposed, political Siamese twins. While constitutional referendum By Rabbi David Levine. is of American development, if not origin, INA FIT of frenzied patriotism the Rev- the referendum applied to ordinary legis * Mr. Kramer exclaims from his pulpit: lation is distinctively a Swiss product. “I am an American, a Fourth of July The Swiss federation possesses the refer American. My creed is America for endum in obligatory form, that is, taking Americans.” Too soon have some forgotten how effect without petition—for all amend ments to the constitution; the initiative Mark Twain exposed the absurdity of this for constitutional amendments only, on sentiment. Were not the very discoverers petition of 50,000 voters, and the optional of America foreigners ? Does not the referendum, which takes effect on petition composition of its citizenship justify the of 30,000 voters, or 6f eight cantons, definition that an American is a foreigner applying to the more important acts who has sworn allegiance to the Stars and passed by the national legislature. The Stripes, or the descendant of such a Swiss people have played a very important foreigner ? “American for Americans!”—a creçd part in the legislation of the country PEOPLE FROM THE EARLY REPUBLIC OF SWITZERLAND BECOME LOYAL AMERICANS. well fitted to check our development and to thrust us into suicidal isolation. A cry arose in the Orient—“China for the Chinese!”—and lo, the great yellow giant writhed under the heels of his trium phant foes! A cry arose in the Occident— “Spain for the Spaniards!”—and now none so poor to do her homage. Moreover, is not the Rev. Mr. Kramer’s Americanism porcine in the superlative degree? Is he prepared to maintain that the Jew of Nazareth would have counte nanced such a doctrine ? Since when, then, is it the function of the Christian ministry to distill into Christian ears and Christian hearts the deadly suppuration of selfish ness? A man that is guilty of such an utter ance as the Rev. Mr. Kramer’s would shut the door of America in the face of a John T. Sullivan and boycott the steamship company that brought, him from Ireland. Let us who are born Americans and our fellow citizens from other shores ever remember that at the gateway of our beloved country stands the genius of America gazing o’er the seas, offering freedom and light to myriads groaning in the bondage of ill-requited toil or groping in the valley of the shadow of death. Let us remember that America is the home of the brave and that “the bravest are the tenderest.” Silenced be every cry that turns us from the golden path of America’s golden destiny! Let our deathless slogan be— “America for humanity!” SPORT AND CITIZENSHIP E WHO SAID: “Let me but write a “ nation’s songs and I care not who writes its laws” had an ear close to the heartbeats of humanity. He knew that sen timent is stronger than law and that the one is swayed by the charm of music to which the other is deaf. A nation’s songs are indicative of its civilization. What is true of song is also true of sport and recreation, for of these is the music and from these are the songs largely composed. Therefore, from the sports of a people may be told very accu rately the degree of their enterprise, cul- trre and refinement, together with their principal traits of character. Comparisons are ever odious. It is only • necessary to note that the nations of the world which have little of sport and recre ation have little of song and are low in the scale of civilization. The nations with free and fulsome sports, drawing recreation from the pure air and golden sunshine, are the nations which progress toward higher levels and greater things. Man without wholesome amusement and pastime be comes. old and sodden before his time The man who indulges in ardent, buoyant, bold and courageous diversions is young after his allotted years of three score and ten have been run. Clean, healthy sports and athletics are to be encouraged and fostered. The ski glide and the deer trail may be too strenu ous for the average business man, but there are many milder forms of exhilerat- ing sports and a few—a very few—more ardent—lion, elephant and rhinoceros hunting—but these are only for the ultra- energetic, men of the strength and intre pidity of the Roosevelt type- There are scores-of healthful sports and amusements of milder form in which may be found the secret of perennial youth. Encourage the young people in these sports—the girls as well as the boys. tt