l tendency to centralization in the
government.

The socialists go a little farther. They are not so radical as those
who go by the same name in Germany, France, and other European
countries. They are very moderate in their views. They favor most of
the planks in the liberal platform, and, in addition, advocate the
adoption of socialistic reforms, the loaning of public money without
interest to the poor, public pensions to the helpless, sweeping
reforms in the labor laws, and the purchase and maintenance by the
state of all public enterprises that affect public welfare, such as
the street-car lines, the insurance companies, the banks, etc.
The peasants in the country are protectionists and belong to the
conservative party. The mechanics in the cities are generally
socialists. Politics, however, is not very exciting. The tariff, labor
questions, and other propositions are always discussed, and of late
years the most interesting issues have been the appropriation of money
for national defense, the increase of the term of military service
from ninety to three hundred and sixty days for every citizen, the
modification of the electoral law, and the regulations of the forests.

Peasants have been members of parliament for more than five hundred
years, and now constitute more than half the membership of the second
chamber--intelligent, well-educated mechanics and farmers, who take a
deep interest in the affairs of the government and generally are
on the right side. The agricultural peasants are invariably loyal
supporters of the king. The mechanics from the city are usually
opposed to him.

The annual session of the riksdag opens immediately after the holidays
with a great deal of pomp and ceremony. It is one of the most imposing
functions in all Europe. The members of both houses meet at their
respective halls, attend divine service at the cathedral, where they
receive the sacrament and listen to a sermon of admonition. Then they
march in a body to the royal palace, where they are received by the
king's ministers with great formality, and escorted to what is known
as the throne room. As they enter, each man bows reverently to a
silver throne which stands upon a dais at the other end of the
apartment. The members of the first chamber are seated on the right
side of the great hall, and those of the second upon the left.

When the sound of trumpets is heard, all rise, and the master of
ceremonies enters in gorgeous apparel,