The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-02
ELECTIONS IN JAPAN.
The New Machinery Which Will Go Int
Operation in July.

inc New Machinery Which Will Go Into
Operation In July.
The first parliamentary elections under
Japan's now constitution have been set for
July l, and the world will thus see the GU
rious spectacle of this conservative aud
aesthetic people exercising for the first time
the right of popular suffrage. An elaborate
code OF regulations has been promulgated
for the management of the elections, which
in these DAYS of ballot reform agitation
may be of interest to the electors of other
lands. This code is supplementary to one
issued simultaneously with the constitution
in which general scheme was laid down, the
details being reserved for the subsequent
law 1t was provided by the former that,
for the purpose Of returning members, the
administrative division of the empire into
cities and procedures should be taken as a
basis, each city and prefecture being sub
divided into election districts on the prin-
possible, for equal numbers of the popula-
ton. Thus Toxic returns II members and
Osaka 10 out of 900. The qualifications for
electors are that they must be japanese
subjects and have attained the full age of
70 years before the day of voting; also that
in the electoral district, and have actually
resided there for not less than one year
previous to the date of preparing the
register r;gg, The he property qualification is
at least S15 year, 80 that to exercise the
franchise q man must possess either land of
the taxable value Of $500 or an annual in
come of $1,000. In the case of land, the
voter must have been paying the tax for
full period OF one year, and in the case of
fore the day on which the register is made
up.
The most interesting features of the sys-
tenn, however, Are the arrangements pro-
vided for securing free and orderly voting
places will be granted only to qualified vot-
ers who have previously obtained tickets
indicating their right. Should there be a
considerable crowd at any place the
electors will be required to vote in
regular Re- order ther to the
will be no ballot boxes in the ordinary
sense of the term. Each elector will give
his name to the presiding official, the head
man of the district, with whom are to be
associated not less than two and not more
than five witnesses, nominated by him.
oral list, the head man will hand voting
paper to the elector, who will be required to
lnscrlbc thereon the name of the person he
votes for, together with his own name and
residence, and to affix his stamp. The vot-
ing paper will then be placed in receptacle
having two lids. each fitted with different
key, one key being in the custody of the
headman, the other in that of the witness ses.
The polling being over. the box will be shut
and forwarded, in charge Of one
or more of the witnesses, to the
ing. There it is to be opened by the
chairman of election, with whom will be
associated committee of not less than
three and not more than seven, chosen from
among the witnesses assembled from the
different voting places. The chairman, like
the experimenting officers at the various
voting booths, are to be local officials, who
owe their offices to the votes of the people
themselves under the regular system of To-
cal government. Not until the names of
the persons elected are communicated by
the chairman to the governor or project will
the officials of the central government have
any connection with the business The
greatest interest in these arrangements is
taken by the japanese, who manifest an al
most child-like delight at the prospects of
voting.