1899 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1899. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.[1]

The 52 electoral districts

Electoral system edit

The 147 members of the National Council were elected in 52 single- and multi-member constituencies using a three-round system. Candidates had to receive a majority in the first or second round to be elected; if it went to a third round, only a plurality was required. Voters could cast as many votes as there were seats in their constituency.[2] There was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.[2]

Results edit

Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.4% and lowest in Obwalden at 21.3%.

 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Democratic Party183,21649.6984–2
Catholic People's Party76,84520.8432+2
Liberal Centre51,76414.0420–3
Social Democratic Party35,4889.624+3
Democratic Group18,0034.8870
Others3,4090.9200
Total368,725100.001470
Valid votes368,72591.78
Invalid/blank votes33,0258.22
Total votes401,750100.00
Registered voters/turnout737,69654.46
Source: Mackie & Rose,[3] BFS (seats)

By constituency edit

Constituency Seats Party Seats
won
Elected members
Zürich 1 6 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Jakob Amsler
  • Emil Zürcher
  • Ulrich Meister Jr.
Liberal Centre 2
  • Hans Konrad Pestalozzi
  • Konrad Cramer
Social Democratic Party 1 Jakob Vogelsanger
Zürich 2 4 Liberal Centre 3
  • Johann Jakob Abegg
  • Heinrich Berchtold
  • Johann Rudolf Amsler
Free Democratic Party 1 Heinrich Hess
Zürich 3 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Rudolf Geilinger
  • Emil Stadler Sr.
  • Ludwig Forrer
Democratic Group 1 Albert Kündig
Zürich 4 3 Liberal Centre 1 Heinrich Steinemann
Free Democratic Party 1 Heinrich Kern
Democratic Group 1 Johann Konrad Hörni
Bern 5 5 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Matthäus Zurbuchen
  • Arnold Gottlieb Bühler
  • Eduard Ruchti
  • Johann Jakob Rebmann
  • Franz Neuhaus
Bern 6 5 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Hirter
  • Johann Jenny
  • Friedrich Bürgi
Liberal Centre 2
  • Edmund von Steiger
  • Ernst Wyss
Bern 7 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Adolf Müller
  • Fritz Bühlmann
  • Fritz Zumstein
  • Gottlieb Berger
Bern 8 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Hans Dinkelmann
  • Emil Moser
  • Johann Rudolf Steinhauer
  • Gottfried Bangerter
Bern 9 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Eduard Bähler
  • Jakob Freiburghaus
  • Johannes Zimmermann
  • Eduard Will
Bern 10 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Virgile Rossel
  • Albert Gobat
  • Albert Locher
Bern 11 2 Catholic Right 1 Casimir Folletête
Free Democratic Party 1 Henri Cuenat
Lucerne 12 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Friedrich Degen
  • Hermann Heller
Lucerne 13 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Candid Hochstrasser
  • Theodor Schmid
  • Josef Erni
Lucerne 14 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Josef Anton Schobinger
  • Dominik Fellmann
Uri 15 1 Catholic Right 1 Franz Schmid
Schwyz 16 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Vital Schwander Sr.
  • Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler
  • Nikolaus Benziger
Obwalden 17 1 Catholic Right 1 Peter Anton Ming
Nidwalden 18 1 Catholic Right 1 Karl Niederberger
Glarus 19 2 Free Democratic Party 1 Rudolf Gallati
Democratic Group 1 Eduard Blumer
Zug 20 1 Free Democratic Party 1 Klemens Iten
Fribourg 21 2 Catholic Right 1 Henri Schaller
Free Democratic Party 1 Constant Dinichert
Fribourg 22 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Vincent Gottofrey
  • Aloys Bossy
Fribourg 23 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Louis Grand
  • Alphonse Théraulaz
Solothurn 24 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Wilhelm Vigier
  • Albert Brosi
  • Joseph Gisi
Catholic Right 1 Franz Josef Hänggi
Basel-Stadt 25 4 Liberal Centre 2
  • Carl Koechlin
  • Isaak Iselin-Sarasin
Social Democratic Party 1 Eugen Wullschleger
Free Democratic Party 1 Heinrich David
Basel-Landschaft 26 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Jakob Buser
  • Johannes Suter
Bauern- und Arbeiterbund 1 Stephan Gschwind
Schaffhausen 27 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Robert Grieshaber
  • Wilhelm Joos
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Konrad Eisenhut
  • Johann Jakob Sonderegger
  • Jakob Konrad Lutz
Appenzell Innerhoden 29 1 Liberal Centre 1 Karl Justin Sonderegger
St. Gallen 30 2 Free Democratic Party 1 Karl Emil Wild
Democratic Group 1 J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
St. Gallen 31 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Gebhard Lutz
  • Johann Jakob Gächter
St. Gallen 32 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Baptist Schubiger
  • Ferdinand Hidber
St. Gallen 33 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Johann Georg Berlinger
  • Carl Hilty
Democratic Group 1 Carl Theodor Curti
St. Gallen 34 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Joseph Keel
  • Othmar Staub
Grisons 35 2 Liberal Centre 1 Peter Theophil Bühler
Democratic Group 1 Matthäus Risch
Grisons 36 2 Liberal Centre 1 Alfred von Planta
Catholic Right 1 Caspar Decurtins
Grisons 37 1 Free Democratic Party 1 Andrea Vital
Aargau 38 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Arnold Künzli
  • Erwin Kurz
  • Jakob Lüthy
Aargau 39 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Olivier Zschokke
  • Max Alphonse Erismann
  • Hans Müri
Aargau 40 1 Catholic Right 1 Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 41 3 Liberal Centre 2
  • Emil Albert Baldinger
  • Albert Ursprung
Free Democratic Party 1 Josef Jäger
Thurgau 42 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Johann Konrad Egloff Jr.
  • Karl Alfred Fehr
  • Adolf Germann
  • Carl Eigenmann
Democratic Group 1 Emil Hofmann
Ticino 43 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Romeo Manzoni
  • Achille Borella
Ticino 44 4 Catholic Right 2
  • Giovanni Lurati
  • Giuseppe Motta
Free Democratic Party 2
  • Filippo Rusconi
  • Alfredo Pioda
Vaud 45 5 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz
  • Émile Gaudard
  • Isaac Oyex
Liberal Centre 2
  • Alois de Meuron
  • Édouard Secretan
Vaud 46 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Jean Cavat
  • Adolphe Jordan
  • Émile Paillard
  • Camille Decoppet
Vaud 47 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Adrien Thélin
  • Juste Lagier
Liberal Centre 1 Louis-Charles Delarageaz
Valais 48 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Gustav Loretan
  • Alfred Perrig
Valais 49 1 Catholic Right 1 Joseph Kuntschen Sr.
Valais 50 2 Catholic Right 1 Henri Bioley
Free Democratic Party 1 Camille Défayes
Neuchâtel 51 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Robert Comtesse
  • Louis-Alexandre Martin
  • Alfred Jeanhenry
  • Jules-Albert Piguet
Liberal Centre 1 Jules Calame
Geneva 52 5 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Alfred Vincent
  • Marc-Eugène Ritzchel
  • Georges Favon
Liberal Centre 1 Gustave Ador
Social Democratic Party 1 Alexandre Triquet
Source: Gruner[4]

References edit

  1. ^ Elections to the National Council 1848–1917: Distribution of seats by party or political orientation Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine BFS
  2. ^ a b Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1886 ISBN 9783832956097
  3. ^ Thomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan
  4. ^ Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.