St.: Do you know the way, then? You good-for-nothing! Where is the way, then? You couldn't fly there, either. Otherwise you would be able to fly through the air like witches
176
. Have you so many witches in Appenzell?
A.: Pardon me, sir, I can't answer so many questions at once. We know the way just as you and other folk do. I think that where other folk get through, I'll get through too. For they say: Strait is the gate
177
. But if you can get through, I can too. But I think the matter should not be taken so literally, and if it's a question of the soul, I think yours has waxed fat too. As for travelling through the air, mine shall fly as lightly, but not like the witches. The Capuchins say that there are a lot of them about. Whether that's true, I don't know.
St.: Listen, you! Bring your Appenzell witches here with you some time to St. Gallen, as many of them as you can scare up. And even if there's a hundred of them, they shall all have plenty of honey, butter and bread and each one a 15-piece to take home. And you shall have a thaler. But every one will have to make a test piece.
A.: Eat your honey and your butter yourself, sir! I'm no witchmaster. Give me the money for my weaving and my thread, if you would be so kind. That's better than turning to witches...etc.
In the end I went out and let those people chatter on. The man from Appenzell was just as shrewd as he of St. Gallen." [Voellmy, v 3 pp 181-187]
26th Apr. Bräker makes a speech to the Moral Society:
"... Do we not enjoy free trade and business dealings? Free property? We can make what use of it we please. We can select all our Landrate [provincial councillors] and also some of our judges. We can elect some of our pastors, our churchwardens and our elders
178
. Whose fault is it, if we are careless how we vote? If we choose according to boastful speech or outward appearance, dishonourable bribery or acquaintance in high places, place and district, behaviour conformed to this world, bewitching conversation or trivial matters? Should it not be the duty of our teachers to sharpen the wits of their neighbours, so that when they vote they do not on any account judge by such meaningless qualities, but rather by righteousness, good will, understanding and insight, and take care that they are not shouted down by such quarrelsome windbags.
Men of sense in a commune will try to prevent the great mob from overrunning them, from stretching out their rash hands to some worthless man and afterwards repenting of it. For it is these men chosen from ulterior motives, who always want something different, only to make their otherwise insignificant persons important, and to distinguish themselves by their insubordination. Thank God we have no lack of righteous, good, perceptive men. But they are not accustomed to putting themselves forward. They must be sought out. [...] And it seems to me that good understanding, peace and unity are the main pillars of a state, of a country, as they are of every individual household. For according to the utterance of our greatest Teacher a kingdom that divided against itself cannot stand
179
. How then can our poor Toggenburg stand by its liberties, when dissension and quarrels abound and not a single occasion of the country's business can be concluded in peace?
It is impossible for me to be one of those who continually dog every footstep of the higher authorities in a spirit of suspicion, and think that every action is intended only to cut off our liberties and to utterly subjugate us. But if that should, contrary to my belief, actually be the case, to whom should be meted out the guilt of our disunity?" [Voellmy, v 2 pp 63-65]
