ree State I discovered, in 1895,
the kind of commonwealth which the fond fancy of the philosophers of
last century painted. It is an ideal commonwealth, not in respect of any
special excellence in its institutions, but because the economic and
social conditions which have made democracy so far from an unmixed
success in the American States and in the larger Colonies of Britain,
not to speak of the peoples of Europe, whether ancient or modern, have
not come into existence here, while the external dangers which for a
time threatened the State have, years ago, vanished away like clouds
into the blue.[65]

Although, however, the political constitution of the Free State is not
the chief cause of the peace and order which the State enjoys, it may
claim to be well suited to the community which lives happily under it.
It is a simple constitution, and embodied in a very short, terse, and
straightforward instrument of sixty-two articles, most of them only a
few lines in length.

The governing authorities are the President, the Executive Council, and
the Volksraad or elective popular assembly. Citizenship belongs to all
white persons born in the State, or who have resided in it for three
years and have made a written promise of allegiance, or have resided one
year and possess real property of the value of one hundred and fifty
pounds sterling, a liberality which is in marked contrast to the
restrictions imposed upon new comers by the laws of the Transvaal. Thus,
practically, all the male white inhabitants are citizens, with full
rights of suffrage--subject to some small property qualifications for
new comers which it is hardly worth while to enumerate.

The President is elected by the citizens for five years and is
re-eligible. He can sit and speak but cannot vote in the Volksraad, is
responsible to it and has the general control of the administration.

The Executive Council consists of five members--besides the
President--viz., the State Secretary and the Magistrate of Bloemfontein,
both of whom are appointed by the President and confirmed by the
Volksraad, and three other members chosen by the Volksraad. It is
associated with the President for divers purposes, but has not proved to
be an important or influential body.

The Volksraad is elected by all the citizens for four years, half of
the members retiring every two years. It has only one chamber, in which
there sit at present fifty-eight members. It is the supreme legisla