The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-22
by FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

While. the Japanese Constitution bases
the government upon popular represcn-
tation and the will OF the people. and
while these forms are rigIdly adhered
to- Japan has no such thing as pop
ular government in the American In
depreciation of the phrase. The Con-
but at the same time it declares the
Emperor to be sacred and inviolable.
The imperial Diet is organized and con-
Quoted along the lines , or me pari na
arches. but 1t reflects the purposes or
an oligarchy rather then the Will OF
the people.
the lower and popular house OF the
Diet is practically admitted. but as the,
House is essentially aristocratic. this
fact does not mean that The people
majority OF the Japanese public knows
little and cares less about the affairs
of government. The suffrage is re-
stricted by property qualifications, but
take so little vital interest in public
affairs that they are easily corrupt-
ed. and hence Japanese parliamentary
elections are auction sales OF votes.
The average amount spent in bribes By
candidates for the lower
house is said to be about 1900 yen,
or $500. AS this sum is widely dis
tributed it is evident that the average
Japanese elector does not place high
estimate upon the value of his fran
chise.
form Of government Is far superior to
that which obtained until fifty years
ago. when not only the Shotgun and the
various Daimyos, or feudal lords,
possessed the right of life and
death over the common people.
Nowadays If one strikes coolic
he Is almost certain to go to
jail. be his provocation to anger ever
SO great. 1t must also be admitted
that the present government Is be-
spects the natural rights of the low
est classes. and that 1t is as whole
wisely administered. But for all OF
that 1t Is not truly popular"
The House of REPRESENTATIVES is COM
posed OF 379 members, elected by male
Japanese subjects of more than TWEEN
ty-five years of age who pay d.
has a population of 50.000000 people.
or this number only 100000 are enti-
tied to vote. In the United, States, with
a population not quite twice as great
number fourteen times as many as the
Japanese electors, and those entitled
to vote would raise the proportion
much higher In local l affairs no..
are permitted to vote. but the fran
chise Is also extended to "juridcal
persons on the tax lists. Therefore,
corporations have. a direct vote. In
| Tokyo, Vscount Kaneko was elected a
member Of the City Council. There
was but one taxpayer in the ward en-
titled to vote, and 1t was corporation.
| the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, or Japan
Mail Steamship Company. Viscount
(Kaneko received its vote and was
Unanimously elected. He did not live
lin the ward, and the hundreds of peo-
| pie who did had no voice in his Sc
Election.
The general parliamentary elections
|are manipulated in the interest OF the
ruling oligarchy in many different
ways. Bribery is always In evidence.
Then, too. the government may fix the
date OF the election. One was to have
been held in April this year. but the
commercial movement for reform was
50 strong that the Cabinet feared the
much to buy the 1 yoters when there here
\ ton was postponed until June. . II
\ the outlook is still dark for the ruling
'|party another postponement may be
\ expected.
4 The olgarchy which actually rules
lJapan is made up of the leaders of the
i two dominant clans of Chosllu and
Isatsuma, Of the millionaire Mitsul
\ family, and of the controlling spirits
I OF the army and navy. These influ-
ences represent five or six families
which are all-powerful by right OF
tradition. and they bow only to tbs
! household is connected intimately II