The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-04
How Queer the Americans Appear
to the People Of the
Orient.
Politics and Methods of Govern
ment Discussed by the
Tittipoo Teller.
-. r..,,,,,e of Iikado Eenj amin, Tycoon
Jimblaine, Gotario Tomreed-Does
the Tycoon Grie'e!

Il 10 several years since the Teller has
r,;ver much attention to affairs in the great
c,,n+rv bevond the eastern sea. Readers
- ,,a Taller will remember that the United
St.+es of America is divided into provinces,
some large, like Nippon, and some very
small. The states are governed by MI
kado and parliament composed OF two
hod;es One body contains only the
vaa,tbv damios of the country, who have
n live At the capital. They keep up great
palaces and have numerous retalners, all
armed with knives who are to kill of men
who try to get into the big damio class.
rhose damios do but little in the govern
ment except to help levy taxes on the peas
ants They pass idle lives, most of the
time being spent in playing poker, nation
al game of cards that the government sent
an ambassador to introduce into Eng
land few wears ago. The
other house of parliament IS composed
Of lesser damios, who are chosen ny the
peasants, Some provinces have many, some
have few. These damios have also retinues
of followers, but they seldom follow their !
masters to the capital as they are such |
brawlers they would keep the capital in a |
continuous turmoil. and they are expected !
to keep the peasantry quiet at home. They |
drink great deal of strong liquor and con-
stantly chant songs of praises OF their mas |
ters. The peasants despise but fear them,
as they never hesitate TO destroy any one
who OPPOSES them The damloS OF both
Glasses are constantly trying to impose new |
taxes that their followers may be appointed
to petty offices and get living. The |
damios are divided into two parties, each |
striving to get and keep control OF the gov
eminent.
The peasants are allowed to help choose
q mikado every four years. The last one
chosen was from central province called
''Indian- amer (because most of its people
are descended from the Indians who once
owned the whole country and delight in
scalping friend and foel. One of his an
cestors had been mikado, and the peas
ants hoped much from him. few of the
great damios advertised in the papers for a
man who was but little known, to act as
mikado, for they wanted to introduce
some new taxes and thought if the peas
ants chose one of their own number he
would be SO grateful to the damios he
would sign any laws they made. The
damios got the peasants to select a man
and they called him Ben iam-in (for these
singular people give man new name
when he is appointed ruler). The
damios gave him $4,000 taels every year
and he lives in large palace. The great
damios tell him what to do to help their
revenues and he tells the lesser damios
what they can do for the same purpose, and
when these little damios refuse to obey the
mikado he cuts off the heads of their fol-
lowers.
There is another ruler among these peo-
pie like our tycoon. He has no real power, |
but is always consulted by the party that
has been in power for twenty five years.
He is a great orator, who makes beautiful
speeches to the peasants and tells them
how the damios love them and how all
nations of the earth fear them, and to show
how great he is sometimes he twists lions
tail, but is always careful to have a piece |
of meat at hand to feed the lion. The ty-
cOon's name is Jimblane, and he is one of
the greatest jugglers in the country. Once
in awhile the mikado sends for this tycoon |
to amuse him and the garagio Council of !
state). The great damics in and out Of
parliament employ the tycoon to talk
to the peasants and tell them fables |
and stories, as he is great story
teller. The tycoon for many years has
been telling the peasants it would be nice |
thing if they would keep a strong wall all
around the country. SO that people in other
lands who had things to sell them could not
come in, for the damios who owned the
mines of coal and iron and copper and the |
great workshops wanted the peasants to
pay them all the money they could get hold
of.
This wall looked very nice for time, and
the damlos grew richer and richer and the
peasants poorer and poorer, but the tycoon
told them such pretty stories and the da-
mics had such beautiful shows all over the
country that it was hard to make the peas
ants cease to reverence them. The tycoon
told the damios they might collect more
taxes but he was too busy to make the laws,
and SO they asked the gotario (regent) to
do SO. When this damio was elected gotta
no ne was given new name-the car.
His first name was Tomreed. He told
man from the province of Ohio, called
Fry-the-phat, to make plan for a new
wall higher than any ever built, and when
Y was done the car had the lesser
damlos make law to build it; the greater
damios said yes, too, and the mikado signed
it without reading it, as the daDios who
owned the coal and iron and such things
notin power said it was wrong and they all
went out and talked and talked to the peas
ants, and when the time came to select sub
damlos the peasants said the wall was too
nigh, and chose damios to the parliament
VINO would take OF some of the high places
IN the wall and build some Of the low places
higher. The mikado was very angry when
he learned what the peasants had done, for
ne knew the great damios would send him
home again.
The next parliament will have a new car,
ana the man who made the plan of the wall
Will nave to saw wood as punishment for
his crime. The tycoon looks yery solemn,
but he is such story-teller no one knows
whether he feels bad or not.-Translated
Tor the chicago Herald from the Tittipoo
Teller, of Japan.