The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-02

to write 5000 ldeOgraphs every day and
100 every evening
When he grew sleepy N night he put two
pots of water by his side. II he began to
nod over his task he threw back his gown
AID friend would empty one of the pots
ov'r him. as the boy grad Tally grew dry
ard warm and sleepy again he would
be doused with the other pot of water and
so he got through his task,
From his thirteenth year he conducted
his fathers correspondence All his life
he was a laborious 81 udent and thus became
one of the most learned men Of his country.
Confucius was the greatest Of his studies.
Literary composition. rhetoric and poetry
occupied much of his time.
His first poem was written In ffty-six
deographs. In later years he won much
fame by his poems
He saws he would have made much greater
progress if he had had good teachers. When
he entered the service of the Shotgun he
bought many books and many were pre-.
sented TO him. Before that time he was so
poor that the books he read were borrowed
or copied and therefore were few in number
He says he was SOW student; what others
learned at once he mast cred only with ten
repetitions, and he attributed his SUCCESS
As a scholar to patience and perseverance,,
and his habit following his father advice,
OF always taking up the most difficult task
first.
The great services that Arai rendered 70
his country were comprised in the short
period of six years which embraced the rule
oftwo OF the Shoguns: Arai was their chief
adviser and he was therefore practically
the ruler of the country.
When he became powerful In the State
his country had fallen upon evil times The
personal prohigacy of the Shoguns. COM
bined with administrative looseness, had
nearly ruined Japan. The public expendi-
lures greatly exceeded the receipts
Official waste and corruption were seen
everywhere. the coinage was repeatedly
debased and the taxes were most oppres-
eive. The climax was reached when a
merciless law enacted in the name Of reli-
gion was put in force by the Shotgun who
ruled before Arai's advent in high Office
This Shotgun In the name of Buddha be-
came the great protector Of animals. Hun
dreds Of men were killed If they accidentally
or wilfully caused the death "f an animal
The official in charge of the Shogin's
kitchen was banished becau.e cat died as
a result of falling into we'll A soldier
and the officers of his company we're i'm
prisoned because the solder had thrown
a stone at a pigeon.
Taxes were levied for the care of dogs
and doctors appointed 10 look after the
health of these animals received the same
honor as the Shogun's own physician. The
whole country was in demoralized and
chaotic state when Arai came into power
and undertook 10 introduce reform. He
wrote to his master as soon as he came into
power:
Now that your Highness has become
Shotgun l deeply feel the need Of reforms
In the Government. One thing should be
done at once. Let the children of the
Emperor no longer be forced TO become
monks and nuns. but give his sons es-
Establishments and let his daughters be
married
The Shoguns prepare estates for their
children. Even common men do the same
and so do men OF rank. Why should the
Emperor be forbidden 10 provide for his
own The expense will not be too great
for the empire to sustain"
great deal of Arai's manuscript Is taken
w IN fllStloTtSNO NltTDulCP reforms, nlHnH
Of which were successful and he was thus
able 10 confer large benefits upon his coun-
try. He insisted that the debasing Of the
currency bv mixing silver with gold. coins.
and putting copper in the silver coins should
cease.
He secured the adoption Of economies
in public expenditures and he fostered the
industrial interests of the country. He
quoted many procepts from Confucius and
said that if they were acted upon the treasury
would he filed in few years and the coun-
try would be prosperous.
He opposed the desire Of the Shotgun 10
build a new castle Let the Shotgun abide
in his present mansion By and by, when
there is money a new one may lie built"
He provided for the gradual payment OF
the public debts Let US pay what We
must. postpone what we may, say a half,
and we can do all Then let a proportion
of the late Shog,ins debts be paid each year
till all is paid"
In one OF his reports he told Of the in
tolerable severity Of the last Shotgun. WHO
had unjustly imprisoned tens of thousands,
and said that relief could be found only
by a great pardoning throughout the En-
pire The result was that thousands were
released from prison, no such pardoning
having been known since the beginning
Of the regime Of the Shoguns.
At the same time many strict rules were
adopted, regulating the conduct Of citizens
some of these rules in our day would be
regarded as very tyrannical
Gambling, the cxtortions Of fremen who
bled the people for saving their property