The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-02-27

William Jcuninos Bryan.
among their respective classes, men
Of erudition or distinguished service
appointed by the emperor, and one
representative from each prefecture
or state selected by the highest tax
payers. The members of the Diet,
except those who sit by virtue OF their
rank, receive 1900 yen C$1 600 per
year. The members of the Hous Of
Representatives are divided among
The states in proportion to the number
of franchise holders: last year they
numbered 1928 and We're voted for by
150,0 00 franchise holders. These
franchise holders numbered less than
ter per cent. of the men of voting
age, there being q property 0ualitica-
ton which excludes from suffrage
more han nine-tenths Of the adult
males.
The emperor ~appoints the governors
Of the various states, and these need
not be selected from the states over
which they preside. The emperor has
the right to cOnyOke and prOrCgue
the Diet and to dissolve the House of
Representatives; he also has the right
to issue urgency ordinances when the
Diet is not in session. the same to be
submitted for approval at the next
session.
The constitution contains a bill of
rights. Among other rights the Jap
anese subjects shall enjoy freedom of
religious belief ''Within limits not
prejudicial to peace and order and not
a~ntagonistic to their duties as sub
j~ects:' and "Within the limits of
law" they shall enjoy the liberty of
speech. writing, publication. public
meeting and association" (After the
Tokyo riots which followed the an
nouncenent OF the treaty with Russia
an urgency ordinance was issued re-
Straining the press and certain news
papers were suspended under this or
d~inance, but it is probable that this
urgency ordinance will be vigorously
discussed at the coming session of
the Diet.)
The emperor is assisted in the dis
charge of his executive duties by q
prime minister and nine department
minister's; besides these he has the
elder statesmen. of whom Marquis Ito
is now the president.
Each state has what corresponds to
our legislature, n each city has a
council. Both Of these bodies are elec-
tive, and to the city council IS en-
trusted the selection of the mayor
They have Il judiciary. federal. II
local appointed for life. but no jury
| system. Among the laws is one for
bidding aliens to w property, al
though his IS avoided to some extent
by long time leases. There is also
a law by which Il debt deScendS with
the property to the Oldcst son, even
though the debt may exceed the
property.
Through the c0untesy Of o \. w.
McIvor, former consul general at
Yokohama and now engaged i'll the
practice of international law, | had an
oppOrtunitv to meet a numbe of gov
rno and congressman and found
| them, as a rule. an intelligent and
accomplished BODY of men, many OF
them having finished their education
abroad. Their most famous minister
of nance. COun Matsukata, bore
some resemblance to j. Pierpont Nor
san.
They have politics in Japan. The
promise of a constitution seems to
have been given by the emperor be-
fore there was any great agitation
for it. but as about 21 years elapsed
. between the making of the promise
and the realization Of the hopes eN-
cited by it, there was q period of dis
cussion. AS early as 1914 several OF
the ministers Joined iii a petition ask
Used constitution. Their memorial be
ing disreSarded they resigned their
ing for the PRONUNCIATION Of the prom
offices and became the founders OF a
democratic party. They call them
selves Liberals and their efforts re-
suited in an imperial rescript issued i'll
1881 fixing 1883 as the date for the
beginning Of onstitutitiona govern
ment. Marquis Ito is now the leader
of the Liberal party which had 100
members in the house Of representa-
tiyes in 1904.
In 1SS2\Count Okuma organized the
Progressive party which had last year
a membership of so in the house Of
,,aco,tatirn This * known G he
party of the opposition. Marquis lto's
party being the power behind the
throne. There is not as much differ
ence TIVE these parties as between
the platforms of the two leading par
ties of our country. but of the two
Count Okuma's party is the more rad
ical. The count himself is u born
leader and eXerts a large influence
upon the politics OF his country. When
premier some years ago he lost Il leg
by the explosion OF a bomb thrown
with murderOus intent by 4 political
opponent. but it did not diminish his
zeal in the prosecution Of reforms. The
fact that there were in the last diet
1870 who styled themselves l~ndepend-
ents shows that there is a consider
able body to which the opposition
party can appeal when the minister
makes an unpopular move.
Besides the party organizations
there are a numbe of societies formed
for the study Of political questions
There are Economic Associations in a
number of the cities composed OF the
leading business ana professional men
I met the members of these societies
f at Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoyit and was
impressed with the attention that
: they are giving to economic problems
They have in Tokyo another organi-
t zatian called the Political Economy
Association which deals more direct
Iy with matters of government. The