Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-25
CATCHING ON.
The Jap Politicians Have Now
Adopted Western Methods.
The Elections RnSnIt in Rintnuc
The Elections Result in Riotous
Demonstrations.

The Forestry Office Attacked and Several
People MISUNDERSTANDING Deplort
the Existence of Professional PoIiti
| cians-Nearly 2, 400 Earthquake Shock,
in Three Months.
VANCOUVER, B. c., Feb. 25.-Advices
from Japan by the steamer Empress OF
China say:
The foment and disturbances caused
by the elections in Japan, show how
quickly she has fallen into western
methods. On Jan. 81 a political moi
attacked the forestry office with fire
arms, and wounded the director and an
other of the Office staff. Fifty gendarmes
were called out to quell the disturbance,
but were insufficient until supplemented
by another detachment.
On the same date two constables were
assassinated by roughs of the Radical
party. Later an attack was made upon
the life of Mr.. Shimadi Takayuki, o
member of the late house of representa-
tives and candidate for reelection. His
assailants were Buddhist priests, who be-
lieved that Mr.. Shimadi had borrowed
money from the Christian missionaries
to carry on his campaign. This gavet' }
affair politico-religious complexion, and
was very much deplored by the native
press.
Comment of the Papers.
The Toxic Shimo and Nichi Nichi
Shimbum of Feb. / predict that if the
political violence is not checked, the re-
suits of admitting the people to share in
the administration will be far from
happy. The opposition papers all COM
plain of alleged interference on election
matters of the local officials, the police
being especially accused of partiality to
the so-called official candidates. The
present Disturbances have led the in
dependent Journals to deplore the excess
of party spirit which betrays people in
to conduct antagonistic to the idea of
constitutional freedom.
The Toxic Shimo of Feb. laments
the existence of professional politi-
clans in an article under that heading.
1t is feared that the priyy council is
going to be so enlarged as to usurp the
powers of the ministry and the functions
of the legislature. The general desire
is that the privy council become nom
inal institution like that of England.
The opposition profess to fear it is the
governments intention to make the
privy council sort of nursery or re-
cruiting office for future ministers.
Japan's Earthquakes.
According to the latest Investigations
the damage caused in Gifu prefecture
by the great earthquake of last October
is as follows: Houses totally burned,
4,d8l; houses partly burned, 23; houses
entirely oyerthrown, $1,000; houses
partly ruined, 83,456; lives lost, 1857,
and persons severely wounded 3,144.
The prefectures Of Gifu and Aichi are
still visited by earthquake shocks.
They have been entirely free from oscil-
lations only two days since the 2Sth of
October, the date Of the great earth
quake.
Two thousand three hundred and
eighty.eight earthquake shocks were felt
in Japan during the past three months,
says the Japan Mail of Feb. 6, seventy
nine of which were quite severe.
Farewell Dinner to Admiral Bslknap.
Admiral Belknap was given farewell
dinner at Toxic on the evening of Feb.
6 by the ministry of state for foreign af
fairs and the minister of state for the
navy. A number Of prominent Japanese
and Americans were present.