Every evening at half-past eight o’clock the church bell is rung, and all the children must immediately go home. If they are abroad after that, they are taken into custody by the patrol of the streets, and either delivered to their parents, or, if frequent offenders, they are kept in durance overnight. This is an admirable regulation, which I commend to imitation in free America. It is adopted here in a pure democracy, and works admirably well. In the cities it would be a great moral life preserver, worth millions of dollars and as many souls, that would be saved by the plan.
At eleven o’clock the watchman sings a set of phrases in a clear, loud voice, which often disturbs me as he shouts, just under my window, “Put out lights, cover up your fires, lock your doors, say your prayers, and go to bed.”
I learned here a bridal custom of this region, so sensible and proper, that I shall mention it for the benefit of the young folks. The custom of making gifts to the bride prevails here, as everywhere, but it is better regulated. The bride makes out a written list of things that she will require in beginning to keep house, especially those things that are over and above what would naturally be furnished by her parents. This list is taken by her friends, and one of them says, “I will give her this,” and marks that as provided for; another will give her that, and sometimes two or three or more will combine and furnish a more expensive present than any one would give alone. After the wedding, the couple usually start off on an excursion, and on their return they find their dwelling filled with these presents, each marked with the giver’s name.
These people are very fond of athletic sports and exercises, games that call forth prodigious strength, and make the inhabitants of this canton famous for their skill and power. Every holiday, and many a Sunday, is given up to wrestling and boxing. They are like the Scotch in hurling a heavy weight. They will throw a stone of 50 or 100 pounds. A man some fifty years ago threw a stone ten feet that weighed 184 pounds. But their great sport is shooting for a prize. They are splendid shots. Shooting matches are held every year in the villages, and sometimes they are matches between the people of the whole canton, and again of the whole country. As we travel we see the targets standing at the foot of a hill, and buildings that are put up for the purpose of accommodating the companies that are formed for the encouragement of this national accomplishment.
So ignorant was I of the forms of government existing in this part of the world, I did not know that six out of the twenty-two cantons, or states, of Switzerland are purely democratic in their government. It is true that this is modified, in a measure, by their confederation with the others, and that they have delegated to their general government the power of declaring war, coining money, and regulating a system of mails. And, by the way, postage is cheap in Switzerland: five centimes, or one cent of our money, conveying a letter anywhere within the country, and, in all the villages and cities, delivering it at the residence of the receiver. These several cantons are, in other matters, independent of each other; and, in times long past, have had fearfully bloody wars among themselves. They are at peace now, but from father to son is handed down the story of the wars.
This canton, containing a population of about 50,000, is a simple democracy, and as primitive and pure as ever could have existed in the earliest days of Greece or Rome, before an oligarchy or a monarchy was known. Here the people, all the males over eighteen years old, actually assemble, personally, and in one place, to choose the necessary officers, and to make their own laws. This popular meeting is held annually, in April, and on Sunday always.
On that day there is no preaching in any church in the canton, except the one where the election is held. All the ministers come with the people. At the close of the morning service, the election is opened by prayer, and then the people proceed to the discharge of this serious duty, the act of their individual sovereignty. Every man wears a sword by his side, a token of his being a freeman; for, centuries ago, when serfdom prevailed, only freemen could vote, and they wore swords. Now, all wear swords on election day, for all are free.
The canton is not so large but that they can all come and return on the same day, and, for the most part, they come on foot. It is expected that they will all come. And where the power of voting is equally distributed in this way, and every man feels that he is an equal part of the government, there is little danger of any one’s staying away who is physically able to come. They meet sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, but mostly in this village of Trogen, on the public square. Here a platform is erected, and the officers chosen last year conduct the proceedings. The landeman, or chief, presides, and the clerk announces the name of any one nominated for public office. All in favor hold up their right hands. All opposed then do the same. If there is any doubt, a count would be resorted to, but that is never necessary. Office is not sought with any great rapacity, and the people are not divided into parties fighting for the spoils. The several officers thus elected are charged with the execution of the laws. A council is appointed, which meets from time to time, in the state-house here, and consults in regard to the internal affairs of the canton. If any new legislation is necessary, they frame the law, put it into print, and a copy of it is then placed in every house in the entire canton. It is not yet a law; it is thus distributed that the people, who are the law-makers, may examine it, talk it over among themselves, and make up their minds as to its expediency. If it is of importance sufficiently pressing to require immediate action, a meeting of the people may be held four weeks after the law has been proposed; but generally this is avoided by having the measures submitted to the annual assembly in April. Then the law is submitted to the mass meeting, and they vote for or against it, by the uplifted hand. As ample time has been given to the people to discuss the matter, there is no call for long speeches, nor would they be tolerated by an assembly that was bound to break up and get home the same night. And the laws thus adopted are put in force by the magistrates appointed by the popular vote, and often at the same time that the laws themselves are adopted.
Among the principal cares of such officers must be the construction and repairs of the highways. Oh that our American people would send a commissioner of their country pathmasters over here! Within the last four years two of these cantons have built a road along the eastern side of Lake Lucerne that would do honor to Napoleon in the days of his mightiest power. For miles it is cut into the edge of solid rock, which makes the bed of the road, and a parapet; sometimes it is a tunnel, and once a tunnel with windows looking out on the lake. All are made by the voluntary, self-imposed taxation of a hard-working people. And so far as I can judge or learn, this community, so governed, is as orderly and happy as any other. Whatever good government can do for a people is done for this, and the people do it for themselves. Switzerland is an enlightened country, and probably as moral a people as any other. By law every child is required to attend school from three to four hours every day till he is twelve years old, and a certain number of hours every week afterwards till he is sixteen. This makes education a necessity, unless the children are incompetent to learn. And there is an enthusiasm on the subject of education surprising even to an American. The various grades of schools meet the wants of all, and fit the young for any department of life’s great work. In this village the cantonal college, or high school, is located. Any parent may send his son here from any part of the canton, and he is educated at a trifling expense. Young men go from this school, at once, into mercantile employment in Asia, in France, England and America. And there are pupils in it from India, from Smyrna, from South America, Mexico, and New York. I heard a tramping in the street last evening, and, looking out of my window, saw a host of boys marching by. I learned, by inquiry, that they were a school of one hundred and twenty, making a pedestrian tour through a part of their native country, Switzerland. Accompanied by their teachers, they thus walk day after day, getting health and knowledge and fun, for they make play of it as they go. Early this morning I was awakened by hearing them again. They had been lodged, how I know not, at the inns in the village, and now at three o’clock, A.M. (for I looked at my watch), they were up and off. Just then they struck up one of their merry songs, and serenaded the sleeping villagers as they took their leave. And even now, while I am writing these lines, I am called to the window to look out again, and here is a large school of girls, some of them small, and others young ladies grown, making a pedestrian tour. Both of these companies are three or four days’ journey from their homes. They will be absent, perhaps, a week or a fortnight. And they will be wiser, healthier, and happier for the little tour.
I mention these pleasant incidents to show the interest which teachers, parents, and pupils must take in the business of education, when the school is thus made a part of the pleasure, as well as the labor, of the young. Nor is the moral culture of the young neglected. Far, very far from it. These schools are not godless schools. Religious instruction is not legislated out of education in this country. In this canton they are nearly all Protestants. But in St. Gall, where they are nearly equally divided, the Romanists have their own schools, and the Protestants have theirs, both supported by the same system, and working harmoniously, so far as any co-operation is required, but kept distinct in the matter of instruction.