468 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of government, they agree in little else than the claim and pos- 

 session of absolute popular sovereignty ; and differ much in re- 

 spect to governmental organizations and methods of administra- 

 tion. Twenty-two of the twenty-five Cantons (States) are divided 

 into 2,706 communes (townships) ; and each commune governs 

 itself in respect to all local affairs, so far as is consistent with 

 cantonal and Federal rights. "The citizens of each commune 

 regard it as their smaller state, and are jealous of any interfer- 

 ence by the greater state ; and unless the interests of the Can- 

 ton or the Confederation are manifestly superior to those of 

 the locality, the commune is unwilling to part with its admin- 

 istrative power and jurisdiction over its lands, forests, police, 

 roads, schools, churches, or taxes. In the Cantons in which 

 German is the official language (sixteen in number) it is cus- 

 tomary for the adult male population to meet annually in an 

 open-air assembly in a town market-place or on a mountain side, 

 and there propose, debate, and enact their laws, and elect their 

 officers by universal vote; thus deferring to and establishing 

 popular will without resort to any intermediate representative 

 machinery." 



The question here naturally arises. How did such a nation or 

 confederation, made up of twenty-two small states differing from 

 each other in many essential features — religious, political, social, 

 industrial, physical, and linguistic — originate ? A general answer, 

 based on a large amount of historical research and publications, 

 is that it was due originally to a drawing to a common center of 

 a number of small districts, from the contiguous monarchies of 

 Germany, France, and Italy, for common defense against a com- 

 mon foe ; and hence also it is not surprising that the political 

 boundaries of Switzerland do not follow the natural configuration 

 of the country. 



The revenues of the Confederation or Federal Government of 

 Switzerland in 1894 were estimated at 84,047,312 francs ($17,000,- 

 000), and its expenditures at 83,675,000 francs. The various Can- 

 tons of Switzerland have their own budgets of revenue and expend- 

 iture. For 1895 their combined budgets indicated a revenue of 

 about 78,880,000 francs ($15,600,000) and an expenditure somewhat 

 greater, making a nominal aggregate of about $33,000,000 to be 

 annually raised by some form of popular contribution or taxation. 

 As a considerable part of the cantonal revenues is derived from 

 the proceeds of taxes imposed and collected by the Federal Gov- 

 ernment, and as contributions are made in turn to the latter by 

 the Cantons, it is not easy to estimate the present annual average 

 per-capiia burden of taxation on the people of Switzerland ; but, 

 making all allowances, it is certainly not inconsiderable. Some 

 years since the average tax burden on every inhabitant of the 



