6i6 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



erably more than that number were obtained, and the referendum 

 was appointed to be made February 20, 1898. An active discussion 

 of the merits of the scheme was going on all the time, and continued 

 till the vote was taken. The several parties now took their positions 

 on the subject. 



The socialistic party had been for many years most ardent advo- 

 cates of the nationalization of the railroads, but were not fully 

 pleased with the plan of the chambers, because it gave too much 

 control of the direction and too much power to the federal council. 

 They would have preferred to have the administrative organs more 

 independent of the political authority, and to have them, in part at 

 least, named by the people. Yet they thought it would be contrary 

 to their principles and their previous record to oppose a scheme which 

 took so valuable a property from private companies to give it to the 

 state. Assent to the measure was supported at the convention of 

 the party in Zurich, iJ^ovember 14th, with strong arguments, by Mr. 

 Wullschleger, of the national council, notwithstanding all the amend- 

 ments he had offered in the council with a view to making the law 

 more consonant with their ideas had been rejected; and a long resolu- 

 tion was unanimously adopted without discussion demanding the 

 purchase as an essential article of the socialistic programme and a 

 victory over capitalism, and an active proj)aganda in favor of the law 

 was instituted. 



The radical party, the party in power, controlling large majorities 

 in both chambers, and responsible for the passage of this law, was 

 committed to it by the very nature of the situation, and was espe- 

 cially strong in its favor in German Switzerland. Yet there was 

 some opposition to it within the party, particularly in French Switzer- 

 land. But the mass of the radical opponents were ultimately won 

 over to favor the purchase. M. JSTuma Droz, however, ex-president 

 of the confederation, held out to the end, published a remarkable 

 pamphlet, and spoke against the purchase in the principal towns of 

 French Switzerland. He held a few adherents, but the radical meet- 

 ings as a whole voted for purchase, and the general convention at 

 Berne, December 12th, adopted an address of considerable length 

 recommending it. The mass of the opponents of purchase in the 

 chambers was composed of the Catholic right, and their attitude was 

 dictated by motives of principle. They were adverse to a large ex- 

 tension of the functions of the confederation, opposed nationalization 

 as a dangerous arm to put in the hands of the central power, and 

 brought considerations of financial prudence to bear on the question. 

 Still, some of them were gained over, and in two of the cantons they 

 made an active campaign in favor of the measure. 



The federal Catholics were also against purchase, and in their 



