Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12

and moral, as well las political, ETC.,
All this reveals newt world of thought
and life as compared with the old days but
a generation back. ~
Demand for Better Things.
1t has been brought home pretty clearly
to many statesmen's minds that Japan's
medieval moral system and social meth
DDS. good enough for feudalism and an
island full Of hermits. would not stand
the strain and stress Of this best civilization
of the planet. This last is their goal. De-
termined to win, they see that their moral
foundations must be enlarged and strength
ened Despite their white-gloved police and
their ell; borate codes, both new and old,
there Is need, as a Japanese editor says,
OF moral oil with which to run the new
machinery. Government cannot touch
what is inside of a man. 1t can control
only that which is outside Thinkers feel
the need of something that will go deep
down and touch the man himself. 1t is
perfectly astonishing how editors and
scholars are in A. D. 1900 writing on moral
subjects, and in a spirit antipodally differ
ent from that of fifty years ago. The
names of Fukuzawa and Shimada, leaders
in journalism, are in the forefront Of
those who demand purity in the home.
The race in Japan is now for dollars. New
sources of wealth are opening everywhere.
How the money is made may trouble no
more the conscience of a Japanese than of
other mortals. Even the village now COM
petes with the great cities in offering temp
tatons through INSCRIPTIONS men and wo-
men to the young. When l lived in Japan
the village was additionally, at least, as
Eden, the city as Sodom. Now Sodom and
Eden have united. 1t is simply question
of headquarters and branch establishments.
Statesmen discover a hundred new foun-
tains of vice springing up where the law
cannot reach. Hence, for their new con-
stitutional structures they see that mighty
moral buttresses Of a new sort are needed.
The Law of the Land.
Patent to all who will read it Is the new
civil code. After twenty years Of prepara-
ton and many months Of fierce debate, 1t
has, since July 16 1898, been the law of the
land. OF course, the issue of statute can
not In day change nations habits, but
with time this code means the reconstruct
ton OF the whole Japanese family system
This In turn means the purifying of the
very center of the nations moral power
heretofore, japanese sons and daughters
could marry only by parental permission.
Inc new code wisely puts limit on par
entail authority by allowing a man of thirty
and woman twenty-five to marry regard
less or the parents consent. Concubinage,
which Is and will be for some time to come
an institution, Is bound to go, for among
other reasons the makers of the civil code
POSSIBLY taking a hint from our constitu-
tional fathers, who would not admit the
word slave or slavery in our national in
strumenD have kept OUT the terms concu-
bine and concubinage. This actually means
moral awakening. Marriage will become
Wedlock and concubinage will die out. The
new code provides for the making of a WILL
In time 1t Will Kill that abominable system
Of adoption-that bane of the Japanese So
cial system which fills so large a space in
law, affecting as 1t does a thousand rela-
items Of life. Whereas, in the civil CODE
ha MAJ rfa iS %
tN eight articles of seven pages, the
word adoption is discussed in forty articles
OF ten pages, covering the laws this
point. This semi-barbarous Japanese sys-
TEN OF adoption uDsetS, all our western
IDEAS OF heredity, self-respect and even de-
cency, violating the very notion of family
Even the JaDanese sheer at it in their own
familiar proverb, $50 lpng as you have one
peck OF beans. don't become an adopted
son." Z -.
Opposition Overcome.
OF course, in radical: reformation
there are spasmodic reactions For a time
in 1899 1t seemed as tIlougl1sthe department
of education had beens captured by the re-
dictionaries and was to be the home Of the
owls and bats. Apparently it had become
sort Of tsung Ii yannen, 10 oppose every
thing like moral progress and especially
to entrench medfaevalism @and stereotype
bgotry. But today the stupid regula lions
of 1899 are practically a failure and re-
ligious thought is freer, deeper and wider
as consequence. Once a professor in the
Imperial University could be retired from
office because he dared to apply the canons
of criticism to Japanese history. Now it
Is becoming safe to challenge the native
mythology. High officers who are men in
every other line of thinking to be
children when discussing ancient history.
The vital difficulty with the patriotic Jap
anese is that to insist upon monogamy
might In his view imperil the continuance
A. 1r;- 1;,1~ ~ =
medieval edicts Of the education depart
ment last year had this nightmare in view.
Ultra-conservatives have opposed the re-
ligion of the west because 1t insists upon
one wife to one man. Yet even Japanese
government will find that it cannot built!
Il dam that will keep back the rising tide
Of national conscience. The recent laws
for the government Of the imperial family
derful step in advance, both in morals and
politics. AT many points the recent we'd
ding Of the crown prince and his bride show
close approximation to the moral IDEAS Of
western nations.
Ethical Advance.
All these and hundred other signs show
that Japan's ethical advance keeps pace
with her improvement in material civiiza-
ton.
There is reason why the Japanese in
1900 are comrades with the Anglo-SaXon
nations and why they led the van in the
rescue Of the legations in Pekin. There are
reasons also why their soldiers In China.
instead of joining In the brutalties, the
lust and the murders OF sham Christians,
have been he'd to discipline and moral
ity that have surprised the world. Slowly
but surely the nation which the United
States first won peacefully from her Sc
cusion is fitting herself for the master
work of the twentieth century. This is
nothing less than to act as the mediator
a nj
the oriental and occidental civilizations.
For this humanity waits. 1t can come about
only by mutual moral betterment
IN THE CH U r c. H e