The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-09

marquises, all of whom sit for life
upon becoming % years of age, also
II counts. 20 ~vfscounts and SO barons,
all of whom are elect6l for seven
years by members of their W orders
of nobility. The emperor appoints 12l
men, notable for learning, patriotism,
philanthropy or any other worthy
trait, regardless of their origin, and
who sit for life. The 43 members who
represent the highest taxpayers in the
empire serve seven years. The non-
titled members must never exceed the
titled ones. The body cannot be dis
solved under any circumstances, but
can be convened at any time.
The house of representatives consists
OF 379 embers elected for -four years.
The electors must be at least % years
old and be paying a direct tax of not
less than the equivalent of IS per an
mum. Candidates for the house must
be at least 80 years of age. Over 800
of the total membership come from the
rural districts, the average being one
member for every 100, 900 of the popula-
ton. Members of both houses are in
session three months every year, and
are paid 1000 yen &1 .0OO) per annum,
besides free passes and travelling ex-
penses.
In case a member is unseated, dies
or resigns within a year of election,
the opponent who had the next highest
vote succeeds him. There are only
l,60O, 600 voters out of a total popula-
ton of about SO, 900, 900. The average
expense of a campaign for a seat in
the house is 1000 yen or $500, al
though in one district in 1908 two
rivals spent 10000 yen each. The house
meets every other day, the alternate
day being given to committee work.
Farmers represent 80 per cent of the
membership. merchants and manufac-
tuners II per cent, lawyers, journalists
and authors % per cent. The other
vacations absorb the rest. At the first
election in 1890 the average age of
members was AZ. but it has risen
steadily until now a new man aver
ages 4S upon his entry into the house.
Each house may initiate legislation.
and a Measure to become law must !,
pass both houses. subject to the i'm
perial veto. The budget may be passed
by the diet. Should the lower honse
DE dissolved by the emperor, or dis
solve itself, a general election is held
at once and the new house is con-
Vehed within five months. Ministers
Oh state have seats in the house of
representatives. This outline shows
that the peoples share in the actual
governing of the country is small.
Their representatives are only i'm ses-
sion three months, and the cabinet
acts as it sees fit the rest of the year.
Certain of it's acts must be submitted
FOR approval at the next session of the
diet. In the past, however, whenever
a diet has refused to approve what the
caDlnet has done the premier has not
had much difficulty in inducing the
to order its dissolution.
For over a decade the people have
been murmuring that the a%ristocrats
are too powerful. They have been agi-
tating steadily for a revision OF the
constitution. They advocate longer
of the diet, more power for
the house of representatives, more
elective members in the house of peers.
and that the cabinet shall be respon-
sib.e directly to the diet instead of to
emperor alone. In other words,
the people of Japan would develop
into a real democracy like the United
or Great Britain. They would
to do homage to the en-
peror. In fact, they would not OBJ
lect to a benevolent despotism by that
parsonage, provided he
did the governing. But they will
40 longer tolerate being bossed by a
! a leaders and the titled menu
of an all-powerful aristocracy
Who induce the son of heaven to sane
their schemes. To all this the
~,ureaucrats have presented an %invinci- {
Die defiance until recently. 1
The unwillingness of the people to
b against their superiors has been
principal reason for their COM i
oarative silence in the face of actual G
d the guise of consti-
utionalism. Respect for authority Is G
indeed very strong in Japan, but cas- a
lal students of Japanese affairs have a
'een greatly mistaken in thinking that f
he people We're satisfied with their A