davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16
The Japanese People n,
Longer Content to R,
Governed by a Sci
Seeking 0ligarchy.

out money Everything that com,
squeezed out of the people han
used TO prosecute the campaiy,.
Manchuriu. Taxation was alraed,
out of proportion TO the canins.
the people that 1T could not M
creased without danger of rpvobr,
All the available assets controuee
the government had been hypotncc,,
to secure the foreign war loans y,
there was left apparently NOTHING
offer as security for further acco,nr
dalton. The finances OF tho en,'
were really In a very prccarious ~,
dition. Maddencd by the failure Ia
cure an indemnity at the peace setl
mont. the rack and file was sullop
suspicious ana Inclined to bc Grid,
of the government and everything c,s
nected with its administrator.
Driven to desperate measures 4
men at the head of affairs proceeded Il
manufacture assets which nigh 4
used to effect new loan. First Ko,.
and Manchuria were doomed as n
very gardens of the world and on
multitudes of Japanese were enco,
aged to emigrate to those countr,
Many of those cmigrants, having fais|
to prosper, have made their way M
to the islands. Another clever soho.
to raise money was the so called n,
tionaliZation OF the railroads nj
government took over all tho railrosi,
paying for them with bonds Tins H.
government managed to secure M,
siderable source of revenue and a.,
qurcd something which might be In.
( pothecatcd in a pinch Another scbn,.
was the organization of many spccia, 4
Industrial projects with the eNpcc,,,
ton that foreign capital would a
tempted TO invest in them.
II has been demonstrated more tb,l
once that nothing viii collapse maj
/ quickly than a boom which is built n
fictitious basis. The reaction m b..
pan is nothing more than might h,rsI
been expected and now that 1t h,I
come nobody seems to be surprised NJ
has led to scrutiny of the govern.
ment and its policy BY the people ,h,
must result in am overthrow of tbs
present arrangement.
The Japanese masses are inclined h,
put the responsibility of the nations
financial distress on the elder states.
men-Okuma, Yamagata. Ito and Mat.
sukata AS leader of the opposite,
Okuma is least open to this crtics-t
for he has never been admitted to n.
fun privileges OF the genro and N,
had less to do with the ambitious plsa
I fo, .,N-nupsinp tIa,t, tin, ,tl.rc In Ia
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

Of opinion. Some of those best quail
fed to speak declare that he is mere
figurehead. leaving the care of the gov
eminent to his ministers and occupy
ing himself with the minutiae of court
etiquette and the more important bust
ness Of his own personal comfort The
crown prince is generally regarded as
unusually dun and embarrassing, and
he is never intrusted with anything of
Importance. There is a great differ
ence OF opinion among foreigners as to
the estimation in which the mikado is
held by the masses. Outwardly at
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16
YAMAGATA'S HOME.

market This political dcgencracy is
so evident and so farreaching that sew
cral organizations for the reform of
politics have come into existence. The
last elections have been attended with
such corruption and fraud that most
of the leading journals have made
mention of the fact 1t has been
charged that votes have been bought
as low as yen and that seats in the
prefectorial assemblies were to be had
for from 1000 yen upward.
The chief thing, however, that has
discredited the rule of the oligarchy
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

"S HfSD are executing times lol
n Japan. The general election;
are going on. An election IN
the island empire has never
been "A matter of wide public interest
until now Heretofore the Japanese
people have paid little attention to the
political game as 1t has been developed
under the now regime. Still under the
domination of the old traditions, they
have been satisfied to trust 10 the OK
listing government the management OF
their interests and to let 1t go at that.
Now. however. It is quite a different
thing. Tho situation is so changed
that genuine political crisis is I'M
pending. The slow moving and pa
ticnt japanese proletariat mas been
transformed into mass OF unsatisfied
uuestioners Il is the existing com
mercial and financial depression that
has brought the country to the verge
of panic aud has caused the people
to wake up and ask why,
Although Japan has adopted the
form OF a popular government the
voice of the people In affairs OF state
is heard but as from afar. While the
government has the outward appear
ance of constitutional monarchy it
- dll tEIpf " dNSuilits ah1 W - NA'N
west are likely to do. that it is con-
Quoted ON liberal principles rs such
things are understood in America The
form is all right--there are a consu-
tuition, Il ministry. q diet composed of
two houses ard a judiciary to interpret
the law There the similarity to a lib
eral government ends.
n y
Nowadays the basis of popular rep
rescntation Is the franchise, and in ia
pan the total number of voters in the
empire is under 100000, less than per
cent of the population as compared
with % per cent in France and Il per
cent in the United States. In addition
TO the aristocracy, tho voting privilege
is confined to commoners with prop
erty and taXpaying qualifications, so
that the exercise of the franchise be-
longs only to the upper and part of the
middle classes. The great laboring
class, made up of about 80 per cent of
the population of the empire, is en-
tirely without representation I'm gov
eminent affairs. The only constitu
tional privilege which this class pos
sesses is the right of petition to the
mikado. and that is so hedged in by
difficulties due to court etiquette that
1t is of little practical value.
The influence of even this limited
electorate is restricted absurdly. The
house of peers, the upper legislative
branch is made up of male members
OF the imperial family, hereditary no
bility, some life members who are mill
tary and naval heroes nominated by
the milSado. and the members nominal
cd by fifteen electors in each fu or
ken who pay the highest taxes. These
latter nominations must be affirmed by
the mikado, and the members may
serve seven years. From this 1t will
be seen that the upper house is com
posed of a large majority of princes
and mobiles and minority of members
nominated by a very limited and
wealthy class. including less than 700
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16
A Half American Member of the British Cabinet;
Winston Churchill In Line For The Premiersh

worker and was also frankly out
spoken in his opinion of those who
were shirl>s. That did not contribute
to his popularity, and no one at quar-
ters was especially sorry when he OBJ
tanned leave to go to Cuba. He reached
the West Indies just at the breaking
out of the Spanish American war and
at once proceeded to the front in
search of adventures. Knight errant
that he was. he embraced the first OPP
portunity that presented itself to go
into action. II was on the Spanish
side. but he did not hesitate TO turn a
lance against the countrymen of his
mother That was the great mistake
of his life. and he is not ashamed to
confess it, He conducted himself so
calamity that he was AWARDED the first
class medal Of the Spanish order OF
Military Merit. 1t is safe Ia say that
he never wears this decoration in the
presence Of his mother
Two years later Churchill was in In
dia engaged in the Malakland cam
paign. He was active as usual. was
mentioned in dispatches for his good
work and obtained the medal and
clasp Fortune seemed determined to
make "A soldier of him, for the next
year he came in for more ighting and
another decoration. a little later he
was transferred to Egypt and was
present at tho battle of 'khartum,
when the forces of the AIahdl were
crushed finally and the Sudan was
brought under British control. II was
at this time that his old habit Of dis
cusslng matters got him into more or
less difficulty with his military su-
pcriors. He wrote letters criticising
the conduct OF the leaders in Egypt.
ana they were published IN the home
papers and excited no end of comment
- England
AT last the war office came to the
conclusion that the two professions of
soldier and newspaper correspondent
were Incompatible ana Churchill re-
signed his commission aud went home
TO England. He didn't stop talking
about affairs in Egypt however and
there was little regret in certain guar
tcrs Whom the Boer war broke out aud
ne went 10 South Africa with the
south African Light Horse regiment
Arrived In Natal he AT once resumed
his journalistic career. becoming cor
respondent for London morning pa
per aud sending home "A series of let
ters which were very interesting read
ing. When the Beers captured him
aud carried him of 10 Johannesburg
there was temporary lull in the cor
rcspondcnce. but he escaped, made his
way out of the enemy's country and
appeared safe and sound in London.
~ "
] tflnrgntlIfa t,utllaunqnfaIfk gupaar la-
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

and brought matters to crisis with
unexpected celebrity is the fact that ia
pan Is now struggling with the very
hardest of hard times. As long as tue
government kept things booming there
was little complaint from the 90 per
cent of the population which has no
part in the conducting of the govern
ment AS II is, the olgarchS finds IT.
self confronted with demand for a
division OF its power. Perhaps its very
existence Is at stake. Among the
greater causes which have helped to
create this situation are the diversion
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

least he is veneratcd as the spiritua
and temporal head of the nation. but
American residents in japan believe
that this sentiment is not altogether
sincere and that the people are begin
Ming to believe that their ruler is being
used as a tool 10y the oligarchy which
is their actual master.
II is also wen known even ny the
lower classes in Japan that the game
of politics Is being played on the no
fair" system. There Is little doubt thet
at the present time seats In the lower
house may he purchased in the open
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

voters. This is rather a poor showing
for representative government
Nor is the lower house, the so called
popular branch of the diet invested
with the exercise of genuine legislative
power. Its members are elected by the
small part OF the population which
has the franchise, scarcely per cent
Of the whole There are at present
sos seats distributed among forty five
cities and procedures, called fus and
kcns in Japan. This gives an average
OF 1000 votes to a district which would
have on an equal basis Of population
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

election is ordered the campaign is
not carried ON along party lines. Each
candidate makes an Independent cam
paign, with his own issues and per-
sonality as the basis 1t Is not untll
after election that the parties are or
ganizcd. and party lines rest very
lightly Japanese parties are more n
grouping for individual advantage than
means to extend definite political
principles
In fact. the Japanese government
makes no pretcnsc OF representing the
people or of carrying out their wishes
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

Oldham. where he had failed at PIE
vious election. Since that ime he has
been known as one of the most ag
grcssivc NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in tho housl
of commons. In spite of his youth nj
did not hesitate 10 oppose the policies
of Chamberlain and Balfour
II is no secret that Mr.. Chamberla1
would have liked to attach the brlarl
young son Of Lord Randolph Churchill
to the Protectionist party Mrs
Chamberlain (formerly Miss Mary En-.
dicotO was hcrsblf an adroit caa-
vasscr for votes. and when she anal
Churchill met at a certain function h
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

to something that will he even more
gratifying to his ambitious mother,
perhaps 10 the dignity of prime min
lister
In the meantime Mr.. Churchill win
find plenty to do. The board of trade
of the British cabinet is a working in
stitution. and the man at the head Of
it has abundant opportunity to exhibit
executive ability, if it Is at his COM
mand, 1t is far more comprehensive
in it's activity than the American de-
partment of commerce and labor. All
sorts OF duties and powers have been
added to ii from time to time until 1t
has become an institution of great i'm
portance For instance it has the con-
troll and supervision of all railroads.
Mr. Churchill viii have control of the
fisheries, mighty responsibility in
Great Britain. He must also set in
motion all of the machinery connected
with bankruptcy and must keep
watchfu eye on the doings of colpo-
rations and business concerns of every
description At the head of the de-
partment of labor he will have an OPP
portunity to show his ability by recon
cling the serious differences between
capital and labor, which are especially
prevalent in Great Britain.
y "
Lord Randolph Churchill. brilliant
political leader that he was. made no
secret Of the fact that his career was
hampercd by his lack of education. He
was resolved that his elder son should
not be handicapped In a similar man
ncr. and the boy was sent to Harrow
AZ an early age. At that famous school
he soon established a reputation for
/ cleVerness but failed to become popu
/ lar either with his teachers Of his fell
/ lows Even at that early Hgc he had
developed "A habit of accepting moth
ing without discussion. ana as result
he was IN constant trouble with the
authorities OF the school The late
Duke Of Argyll used 10 tell a story H.
Illustrative OF this tendency of young
/ Churchill to be argumentativc, on a
visit to Harrow, he said, he noticed a
small. red headed boy running about
the cricket field all by himself and he
asked a proctor why the lad was CON
Quoting himself in that ineXplicabIe
manner
"Oh, that's Lord Randolph Churchirs
SON" was the reply, "and whenever he
talks too much we make him run three
times round tho cricket held Hos at
It about half the time"
After he lcft Harrow the youngstcr
was put into the hands of a famous
coach, one Captain James who pro
pared him for the army Then he went
through Sandhmst the English mill,
tary academy and eventually became
subaltcrn In the Fourth hussars In
this regiment his tendency To express
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

mlaid mahogany tables which he has
designed and constructed have been
purchased by Carmen sylvia the gifted
queen Of Roumnnia. Her majesty takes
"A deep interest IN people afflicted by
blindness and has invited Mr. Lawson
To go to Roumania 20 teach blind peo-
Pile cabinet malting.
Seven years ago Richard Bcll was
elected member for Derby England.
In the labor Interest, He Is forly-seyen
N'o"s old ten ~-A rf''nr niii'r"'' in
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

appearance and bearing, suggesting
rather what he really was. The smart
conductor OF an express.
The father of seven or more children
il practically exempt from taxation In
France,
Tanlalum is dissolved solely by hy-
druhuoric acid.
Trpllhaltcn falls are 30 be utilized by
the swedish government for the opera
ton of Il turbine plant
Sofi solder dc'oriorrtos with are md
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

~ passed away az Eastbourne, Eng
land, at IA age of eighty-eight Short
~ after Daguorrc's invention Mr. Kent
learned the art OF photography. and In
1913 no opened his FIRST studio In New
york. So great Was his success that.
after realizlng small fortune he mi
grated 10 England in 1854 and opened
three london studios
A blind piano tuner. j. ". Lawson of
Armloy, Leeds, England recently took
"o Ni" ''"" 1o hobby, Two
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16
OKUMA'S HOME.

It's attitude is that the electoratc-such
as it isis permitted by the mikado to
assist him in administering the gov
eminent. The lower house has prac-
tically no power of initiative. All new
measures of moment originate in the
house of peers. and the house Of rep
resentatives never thinks of opposing
anything suggested by the government
authorities.
y "
The chief factors in the japanese po-
liticaISsystem are the mikado, his min
listers and the so called genro or elder
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16
OKUMA.
MATSUKATA.

to the oligarchy by means of subsidies
and substantial favors from the gov
ernment of most of the wealth pro-
duced by the expansion of the nation
since the war with Russia. the eNpend-
iture of SO much of the national rev.
cnue for increased armament, the in
crease of taxation which is the result
of this policy and the bringing of the
nation to the verge of bankruptcy
which has followed.
y b.
At the close of the war with Russia
the Japanese found themselves with
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16
SELECTED BITS.

Hospitals in ST. Petersburg have COM
scented to test AN electric hlter invented
by Hungarian engineer This device
IS of two parts, the first being so ar
ranged that the water Is submitted 10
powerful electric current for destroy
ing any germs Il may contain, while
the second IS simply an ordinary hitter
of improved kind.
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

burg comes the information Of a new
German composition To take the place
of cedar ia lead pencils. Tho principal
ingredient of the substitute * potatoes.
Tho pencils are now beng manufac-
tured and soon will be on the market,
II is estimated that TO manufacture
these pencils viii take about half OF the
time required 10 make cedar pencils
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

~ ROM an American viewpoint
the most interesting feature
of the recent reconstruction of
"A the British cabinet was the
new premier's choice of Winston
Churchill as president of the board Of
trade That gives the fortunate young
man a seat in the cabinet at the com
paratively youthful age of thirty four
distinction which is as rare as it is
gratifying.
For winston Churchill is the son Of
an American woman whose brilliant
and entirely satisfactory career has
made for her warm place In the
hearts of Englishmen without in any
way detracting from the esteem felt
for her in her own country AS Jennie
Jerome, daughter of the well known
and genial Leonard Jerome of New
York, she was n general favorite, and
when she became the wife OF Lord
Randolph Churchill, third son of the
Duke of Marlborough. who even at that
early age gave promise OF an unusual
career, it was the opinion OF all those
who knew her that the young noble
man was getting a great bargain Her
good looks, abundant wit and unvary-
ing good nature made an impression
ON the English social world that has
never grown indistinct. AS Mrs. Corn
wallis West she is still n mother of
whom even so promising a statesman
as winston Churchill wen may be
proud.
That Is one reason why Americans
are Interested in Winston Churchill
and pleased 10 hear that he is doing so
well. Another Is because the young
man Is always inclined To pride him
self ON his good American blood and
10 ascribe his success in life to the fact
OF his half American porentagc lie
does not hesitate to assert AT all times
and in All places that he owes every
thing TO his clever ana still very hand
some mother and that she has saVct
him from many OF the mistakes which
have been made by other Spencer
Churchlls
Although the president Of the boar
of trade Is not as lofty parsonage a
the first lord OF the admiralty, for in
stance ne Is actually an individual o
much Importance. II Is "a position
which corresponds Ga thar of the see
retaryship OF commerce and labor Il
this country. and he who holds IL /
capable OF eNortlng wide influence
For this reason II has always been re
garded as stepping stone to some
thing higher. Joseph Chamborlai
went from II to the post of secretar
Of state for the colonies. and Nj
Churchill's predecessor David Lloy
George has become chancellor of IN
cNchcquer So there rs no reason VIII
MIR Churchill should not step from
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

cdly American, and when this criticism
came to his ears he took pains that the
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

his opinions unaslled did not meet the
approval of his superior officers, and
he was not a favorite at mess. His
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

in the United States about 26OOO 1t
is really body of aristocrats whose
political aspirations are anything but
democratic.
"
This diet is divided into political
parties but these parties are not like
those of America or even of European
states. Although Japan has adopted
the names of such institutions. she has
not yet developed Il system of govern
mcnt by party. The groups which
take party names are seldom carried
over into new diet. When a general
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

impression should be even more dis
tinct.
AS subaltern Churchill was "a
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

IRON an American viewpoint
the most interesting feature
of the recent reconstruction of
the British cabinet was the
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16

Churchills parliamentary career be-
gan IN 1900 In that year he captured
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-16
Present Conditions In the
Island Empire Seem to
Indicate the Probability
of a Revolution.

F| HESB are exciting times for
Japan. The general elections
are going on. An election in
the island empire has never
The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-06-02
WOMEN ON TOUR.

The women transcontinental motor
tourists who set out from Portland,
Me, on May II, determined to make a
4,000-mile run overland to Portland,
Ore, have arrived in Chicago. They
pulled into Chicago in high spirits and
expect to resume their junket at noon
today
Mrs. E. e. Teape and her daughter.
Mrs. Vera McKelvie. are the only mem
bers of the expedition. which is the
first of its kind ever undertaken by
women automobilists. They left their
home in Sand Point, Ia, in April, and,
going to Portland, Me-, made ready for
their hazardous journey westward to
the Pacific slope. Their machine, a
Compound Walham- Orient, is equipped
with small engine which Is capable
only of developing eight horse power.