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TTbe Conservative *
A country docs
PLANTING not await news
THISTLES. from the bed-side
of Roosevelt's son ,
because he is Roosevelt's son , but be
cause the country looks into the Roosevelt
velt homo and sees sorrow there. For
the same reason that any indiscretion ,
any departure from the established
rules of strict propriety , on the part
of any member of the president's
family , is quickly noted and strongly
resented ; and , on the other hand , any
commendable act , on their part is as
quickly brought to public attention , so
when trouble .stalks across the thres
hold , it stands under the lime-lightand
within the nation's line of vision ,
for the nation belongs to the Roosevelt
velt family , oven as the Roosevelt
family belongs to the nation.
Yon who envy the sufferer at Grotoii
the sympathy of this great-hearted
people , and cry out that your own son
may sicken and die , and the world
move as it did before , should reflect
that you are not the president , consequently
quently your home is not the head
quarters of a loyal people's love.
Do not uproot love to plant
envy , but rather say , witl
the illustrious Lincoln : "Die
when I may , I want it said of
me , 'by those who knew me best , that
I always plucked a thistle and planted
a flower , when I thought a flower
would ' '
grow.
SIDE LIGHT ON JAPAN.
Editor The Conservative :
I have now been ii/ Japan three
months , and I can give my impressions
of the country and the people in a some
what superficial manner. The country
is charming and abounds in beautiful
scenery. The last day of our voyage
hither , in October , we were all day
steaming along the coast , and so near to
the land as to see plainly the hills and
valleys , the fields and scattered houses ,
and the high bluffs and impressive moun
tains. The celebrated Fngiyama , great
est mountain of Japan , at first almost
like a towering cloud , and finally re
vealed itself in all its grandeur , outlined
against the sky , as we arrived in the
evening at Yokohama. It is natural
that the Japanese artists have excelled
in landscape-painting when such scenery
is continually before their eyes.
A great disenchantment takes place
when the traveler lands , and is oonf rented -
ed with the small , dingy houses ofuu-
painted wood , the narrow , mrcddy
streets , and the general aspect of poverty
in the appearance of the people and
their surroundings. There is a strange
medley of a feudal state of things in
combination with some of the marked
peculiarities of modern civilizationsuch
as telegraphs , telephones , street trams ,
, . e i , , * * . tc
railways , sewing-machines , newspapers ,
an orderly police , gas lamps and electric-
lights. The Jinrikishas , light carriages
for one person , drawn by a man , who
trots at a rapid pace , is a distinguishing
feature of the city life.
Impressions of the Capital.
When one goes on by rail eighteen
miles to Tokio , the capital , the same
'eatures appear. The small , wooden
buildings , narrow streets , muddy roads ,
but few handsome , public buildings ;
nnd yet , a population of more than
1,600,000 registered inhabitants , and an
area as large as Paris. The city extends
over a level plain , on made ground
rescued from the sea many years ago
and it is intersected by numerous canals ,
ramifying in all directions ; so that it
alls to mind the cities of Holland.
These ancient canals serve for the trans
fer of heavy , bulky merchandise , and
the quiet of the place is seldom dis
turbed by rumbling , noisy carts and
drays. Horses are but little employed.
The peacefulness of the city is still
further enhanced by the absence of
street-cries , or loud shouting , or up
roarious singing by night-brawlers
Even the many children playing their
games in the streets , are not boisterous
or unruly. The first infpression is that
of a very dense population dwelling in a
confined space , in extremely narrow
quarters , very busy , thinly clad , with
bare legs and arms and breasts , wearing
no hats , and shod in flimsy slippers.
The mothers go about with their infants
strapped to their backs , or the elder
brothers and sisters take the load as if
it were a proper burden ; nor have I seen
any baby roughly handled. In fact , in
spite of the poverty , the babies and the
children are usually fat and rosy , evi
dently well-nourished.
The "Little Brown Man. "
The Japanese are small ; the men not
much above five feet ; the women four
feet , six or eight inches , copper-col
ored. There are two things for which
all classes ardently yearn ; to be whiter ,
and to be taller. It will be long before
these wishes can bo gratified. To be
larger they must be better fed and
warmed for some generations to make a
decided improvement. And to become
white they must systematically marry
into the lighter-colored sections of the
population ; besides avoiding so much
exposure to the sun as is now habitual.
Advance of Civilization.
In five hundred years there may be
a gratifying change. Their civilization
is only just emerging from a hoary
feudalism , which shows its baleful in
fluence throughout the nation. Sub
jugated by their Shognns , their Daimi-
yes , their Samurai , the warrior nobles ;
with minds beclouded by a formal su
perstition ; shut off for centuries from
commercial intercourse with other na
tions ; limited by the use of a semibar-
barons , difficult language ; it is a wonder
that they do show decided progress , and
especially , that they are universally
anxious to improve , and to welcome the
benefits of western civilization. The
nflueuce of the Uuiten States upon
hem has been immense ; and they
rightly judge that the spread of a
knowledge of the English language will
be a most powerful means of enlighten
ment. It is now systematically taught
n their schools and colleges to both
sexes. Not a few young Japanese go to
England or the United States to perfect
themselves in their education.
The Foreign Colony. " '
The foreign residents of Tokio number
about 600. They may be divided into
three classes ; Missionaries , Teachers
and Professors , and Trading , Commer
cial men. Not trusting to my own
superficial knowledge , I give the state
ments of these persons who have re
sided many years in the country , as to
the Japanese in general. The Mission
aries , have only words of praise. They
find the people admirable , and in the
V
following respects : They are docile , \
teachable , polite , studious , pious , warm
hearted , frugal , clean , and most indus
trious. The Teachers and Professors
describe them as polite , vain , studious ,
enthusiastic , but changeable , tricky ,
untruthful , slow , quiet , good-humored ,
and causing no trouble in their classes.
The Traders and Commercial men are
unanimous in giving an unfavorable
judgment. They find them tricky ,
untruthful , mean , unreliable , narrow-
minded , slow to fulfill obligations , very
unpunctual , sly , hypocritical , the polite
manner only a thin varnish , flattering ,
weak , vain of a very little knowledge ,
and too ready in conversation to assent
to anything whatever. These persons
all regard the Chinese as far superior.
The favorable opinion of the Mission-
aries arises from the fact that they have
mainly to do with proselytes and church
members , and do not get into close con
tact with the general population. The
Traders undoubtedly see the worst
traits more clearly. All agree that it
will be slow work to bring this people
up to the average of the English or
Americans. A task for centuries. Some
few despair of any such consummation.
For the Future.
The people must be better fed ; better
housed ; better clothed , better edu
cated , especially the female sex.
Women are ground down , and
are not much superior to slaves.
Their homes must be recreated , and all
their ideas of life enlarged. The load
ing men of the nation realize this fully ,
and the government sympathizes , and
does what it can to elevate the stand
ards , and to make it easier for the whole
people to make more rapid progress. It
is to the credit of the more highly
civilized nations of the earth , that they
are inclined to lend a helping-hand.
This is certainly true of the United
States. . E. EMERSON.
, Tokio , January 1902.
