Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-03-02
ELECTIONS m JAPAN.
4 Politician OF That Country Tells How
They Are Conducted.

They Are Conducted.
An enthusiastic observer OF the re-
cent political campaign work in this
city was Hon. Y. Honda. IA resident of
Hirosaki. city of 35. 900 inhabitants
in Northern Japan.
MIR. Honda is now on his way around
the world. He is just out OF politi-
cal Office. having served two terms, or
four years. as II member OF the Ken
Aomori. or Assembly. and was elected
by the people Of his gun, or county.
In conversation with the writer MIR.
Honda said: II was here a week be.
fore election, and greatly enjoyed at
tending the meetings held by the va
rious political pa ties and beholding
the great street parades; also the de-
corum that pervades the precincts of
your polling places, and likewise the
subsequent interest manifested during
the count and the reception of the
election news. With us in Japan there
is not so much demonstration, but
withal, n very great interest is taken
In our prefecture or ken elections for
members OF the gun, or county u.s.
semblies. Our country now has Il
population Of over 3S.OoO,O 900. We
have count made every year, and
there are forty-three provinces, called
procedures, or kens, in Japan. Each
ken has kwai, or an assembly. like
your State Legislature. composed oil
members elected by the people resid
ing in the guns or counties into which
the kens are divided
"These several guns are entitled tc
from eight to forty assembly guns. o,
representatives, the number depend
ing on the population, no gun having
less than 80, 200 people. The kwai. o1
assembly, holds an annual session
limited to thirty days, and the busines
discussed relates only to the assembl,
districts. This, you see, smacks yer.
much of republican form OF govern
ment very like your own. This sys
TEN has been ours now for about teI
years. The earlier mode was for tn
General Government to appoint Il Gov
ernor and Secretary to rule over eacl
ken. There are three prominent po
litical parties in Japan-the Liberal
Progressive and the Conservative.
belong to the Progressive, which ha
been in the ascendancy for some time
! The Liberal, which is not far behint
is considered too radical In our cOur
. try voters are obliged to have a prol
| nctvn nti To In -,
tax OF $40.
"ln my gun there are 10000 people
but not more than 10000 are voters
, This does not mean that the other 60,
600 are poor men by any means, fo
, many Of them are rich merchants an
tradespeople, but they can't vote bt
!. cause they happen not to be land-owr
!. ers, and, therefore, do not pay the II
land tax. Probably one-half OF tf
10000 are too poor to be voters.
our elections the voting and countin
are done in the largest hall in eao
gun and in the presence of every bod
interested.
about eight years ago the Mikad
Is promised the people that in the ye,
1890 he would accede to largely g.
pressed wi sh on the part Of the pc
pie and call for tho election of N
+ tional Assembly, which. ! presum
l. will hereafter meet once year. Pre-
nrations for this National Assemb
y and the building therefor are no
u being made. The Radicals think tn
p this move will result in placing grea
J er power in the hands of the peopl
o but very much doubt it. Last SUI
. mer the Mikado appointed pri,
J council to prepare national constit
IL tion for the coming assembly, III
g this act. l must confess, occasion,
i considerable talk among the peopl
, many of whom think that this cons
T. tuition ought not to be prepared
II the Mikado himself. but that
70 ought to have called together repr
II sentative general assembly for so II
l. portant a work. k.-iSan Francisco 4
dnainer.
q