Evening star., 1898-09-07
| JAPANESE WEAKNESS
Un; biz to Appreciate the Advan-
tages of Constitutional Government.
RETURN TO old WAYS DESIRED
Great Responsibilities Assumed
Without Due Deiberation.
DISPOSED TO UNDUE DISPLAY
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star

are to be abolished a representative gov
ernment elected and the country thrown
open to foreigners a political party for the
expressed object of abolishing the constitu-
ton But, nevertheless, it is a fact, and it
is headed by such experienced men as Mar
quis Iamagata, Count Inouye, Baron So
noda and Mr.. Furuzawa. all of whom have
either held positions in the cabinet or been
high political leaders. These men assert
that experience proves that in all countries
in Europe, except England, constitutional
government is found to be a failure. That
in the case of England it is the inherent ma
ture Of its people which enables that form
of government to succeed; but that in all
other countries the abuses outweigh the
benefits, and, therefore, under these cir
cumstances the japanese must be governed
without the constitution.
As to constitutional government being a
failure in all the countries of Europe save
England, that is a question which will be
very much doubted by the majority of
civilized beings, and even if it were true it
would be poor excuse for the Japanese to
make in order to retreat from the exalted
position they have so long striVen for and
which they are soon to occupy-that of be-
ing the first oriental nation which has held
the right of jurisdiction over Europeans.
The Japanese are proud of the self-imposed
title of being the Britons of the east, and
this admission of so many of their most
able statesmen that they are not capable of
using TO advantage the system of govern
ment which has made Britons what they
are, was at least unexpected, even by those
foreigners who have all along insisted that
this was so. For 1T was because of the
fact that the Japanese had IL constitutional
government and would frame constitutional
laws under which foreigners would enjoy
constitutional rights that the old treaties
We're revised and the new ones sanctioned.
Yet scarcely u month has elapsed since
the Japanese government notified the for
eisn powers that the new treaties would be
put in force after the nth of July next
when a new political party is formed in
Japan to abolish the constitutional gov
ernment by which those treaties were OBJ
tained from the foreign powers interested.
1t has been prophesied by many Japanese
and foreigners that the new treaties would
never be put into force, and many have
been the disappOintments on learning that
the government has already given the
necessary notice 20 the foreign powers that
II intends to put them into effect. But now
that this new party has announced its pro-
gram there is still a certain amount of
doubt as to what the future will bring
forth There is no doubt that up to the
present constitutional government in Japan
has been a mere farce-a mere playine at
consututionalism-but that has been more
the fault of the government than of the
diet, for the former have used the latter
to vote budgets and pass the new code of
laws necessary in order that the new trea-
ties might be brought into force and then
dismissed them as though they had been a
lot of common laborers on daily pay
Object to All the Governments.
In fact the sole object of all the govern
ments which have been formed since the
constitution was established has appeared
to be merely to carry out the program
which was necessary in order to- accom-
plish treaty revision. And this program
has consisted in putting up the nation in
a IF fIr
tablishing of gigantic enterprises which
could never be expected to prove remuner-
atiye and which have already planted the
country on the verge of bankruptcy OF
course, u do this there must have been a
considerable amount of money spent in or
der 10 persuade the diet to pass the neces-
sary supplies. 1t has been publicly stated
by the Government Mail Steamship Com.
pStny that they lose upon an average f25,.
W. on every trip that they make to a for.
eign country and as these lines are posi-
lively unnecessary except for prestige it
must have required a great deal of pres
sure TO get all these large subsidies sane
toned In fact, 1t used 10 be a general
custom when a bill was introduced to the
diet, to ask how much 1t was worth. But
that is now becoming a thing of the past
and the last two diets have refused to pass
the budget without first having certain ex-
plantations which the government refused
give.
As consequence we have just had an
other general election-the third in about
eighteen Notwithstanding as usual in an
increased majority in favor of the peoples
party who, being opposed to increasing
taxation, must cut down these obnoxious
subsidies. But it is question whether the
present government, even with its large
majority of about five to one will be able
TO carry out any great reform. The
finances of the country are in such terri
bic condition and SO much jobbery has been
going on In order to conceal the actual
state of affairs. that to make the facts
known would expose this country to the
ridicule of the whole world and might even
now delay the much desired treaty revision
There is no more optimistic man in japan
than Count Okuma, the present prime min
lister, and up to the time of his appoint
ment to be the head of the government |
have never once known MIN to have the
least doubt in the future of the country
But he is now in doubt even of his own
supporters, ana fears that reaction may
set in as outlined in the program of the
new political party before referred to-
This doubt he has expressed more than
once during the present month and he now
plainly sees that underlying the apparent
progress and prosperity of the country
there is a great urdercurrent running in
favor of { reaction toward the old ways
and customs and which 1t Is desirous to
conceal until the new treaties have actually
been put into effect. This may be the bet
ter read between the lines from the way in
which Count Itagaki. minister for home
affairs, conveyed this news to the nation.
The following is a translation from the
official gazette of the 9th instant.
Treatment of Foreigners.
''The government has decided to bring
the new treaties into operation from July,
1852 and has therefore given formal notice
of 1t to all the treaty powers. Ever since
the restoration 1t has been the ever-pres-
ent desire of both the government and the
people to obtain a revision of the existing
treaties. The tide of fortune has now roll
ed in our direction, and in one short year
from hence Japan will be placed on an
equal footing with the powers of the west.
Her rights being thus secured corre-
spending obligation devoIves upon her and
it will be by her just treatment of foreign
ers that she can show how far she has pro-
gressed in civilization. Therefore it is i'm
portant that the people in general should
treat foreigners with liberality and friend
ship, so that the honor and dignity of the
people and the glory of the empire may be
upheld
1t does not require much stretch of the
imagination to perceive from the wording
of the above that the home minister has an
idea that hitherto foreigners have not been
justly treated by the Japanese But it may