| OCR Text |
Show THE SWISS PRESIDENT. The president of Switzerland Is so hedged about by the constitution that, except for official purposes and to facilitate fa-cilitate the exchange of courtesies and of amicable understandings with foreign for-eign nations, he has no more standing than the other six members of the council of which he forms a part. He is elected for one year, has no official residence, and his chief business Is to sign the documents of the Bundesrat, or Council of Seven. His salary is in our money equal to about $3,600 per annum, and there is no provision for private expenses, such as traveling or entertaining. He is expected to live in the capital of the country duriug the year he holds office. His associate members in the Bundesrat get $3 000 a year and they are elected for three ' years. As a rule, the president of Switzerland Switzer-land is before election a member ot this council and is elected to the higher office without opposition; but in 1883 he had a rival, and, though he won In that election, he was unable to support what in his country is looked "upon as an affront and committed suicide sui-cide before his inauguration. In this connection It might be well to note, too, that Switzerland is the ono country on the globe where it costs nothing to die, as in certain cantons can-tons rich and poor are buried at the expense of the state. |
