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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1906)
The Omaha Illustrated Bee NUMBER 339. Entered Second Class at Omaha Fostoffice Published "Weekly by The Bee Publishing Co. Subscription, $2.50 Per Year. FEBRUARY 25, 190G. AROUND THE WORLD WITH WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN Educational and Political Institutions of Japan as Developed Since the Promulgation of the Constitution by the Emperor Seventeen Years ago in Fulfillment of a Promise Made When Shogunate Was Overthrown th lie THE government of Japan Is a constitutional monarchy In which the emperor not only claims to rule by divine rlpht but by right of divine birth. He Is described as heaven born, and according to the accepted history there has been no break In the family line for 2,500 years. Among no people on earth has there ever been more universal respect shown, or implicit obedience yielded to the reigning family. There never has been a revolt of any consequence against the emperor, although there have been numerous conflicts between the shoguns. . For about 1,200 years, from C70 to 1868, the shoguns were, however, the actual rulers, and while they never questioned the sovereignty of the em peror, they did not allow him to retain much more than the empty title. The shoguns were military rulers and a number of them were men of great force and executive ability. First, the Fujlwara family controlled the country through the shogunate for nearly 400 years; then for a century the Talra and Mlnamoto families alternated in the exercise of power; then came the Hojo family and others of less importance until finally the Tokugawa family became- supreme in the shogunate and continued In power something like 300 years. The emperor lived at Nara until about 1600,, when the capital was moved to Kyoto, where It remained until leas than forty years ago. Tokyo, on the other hand, was the seat of the shogun power, and there Is a very noticeable difference between the two cities. The shoguns fortified their castles and required the feudal lords to keep headquarters In Tokyo. One cannot go through the palace In which the emperor lived permanently without noticing .bow plain It Is compared with the castle (both at Kyoto) In which the shogun resided for a few days during his annual call upon the emperor. Whl'e It may seem strange that the real rulers never attempted to become emperors In name, It only shows their Intelligence, for by insisting upon the recognition of the royal family, they weie prob ably more successful In maintaining the real authority than they would have been had they questioned the divine right of the Imme morial rulers. Liberality Fatal to the Shogunate During the early part of the last century there began to be a reaction against the shogun, and when he agreed to the treaties opening the country to foreign intercourse, his action was taken itdvantage of by the friends of the emperor. When the feudal lords of Choshu attacked the foreign ships at'Shlmonosekl strait, the shogun was compelled to pay an indemnity of tl 000,000 and at tempted to chastise the Choshu leaders. His forces were defeated and he died soon afterward. The emperor seized upon this event and the influential lords of Choshu and Satuma encouraged him to abolish the shogunate, which be did in 1868. The new shogun accepted the situation without a struggle and those of his followers who attempted a resistance were soon routed. Everything In modern Japan dates from 1868, which Is called the restoration. While in the restoration the emperor was ac knowledged as the sole and absolute ruler, in whom all authority was vested, still it was really the beginning of constitutional gov ernment, for the emperor voluntarily promised his people a con stitution, a promise which was not finally fulfilled until 1889. The fervor of patriotism that restored to the emperor his origi nal authority wrought wonders in Japan. The feudal lords came forward and voluntarily turned their vast estates over to the em peror and relinquished the authority which they had exercised over their tenants; then they Joined with the samurai (their former re tainers) la supporting the emperor in abolishing all social distinc tions. From that day to this the country has grown' more and more democratic, the reforms working from the upper classes down. In 1889 the constitution promised by the emperor was promul gated. It was prepared largely by Marquis Ito who visited Ger many and modeled the document after the Prussian constitution. The legislative power is vested in a diet consisting of two houses, one resembling the English House of Lords and the other resem bling our house of representatives, The upper house Is composed of the princes of royal blood, marquises (these sit by virtue of their rank), counts, viscounts and barons, selected from among their vari ous classes, men of erudition or distinguished service appointed by the emperor, and one representative from each prefecture or state se lected by the highest taxpayers. The members of the diet, except those who sit by virtue of their rank, receive 2,000 yen ($1,000) per year. The members of the house of representatives are divided among the states In proportion to the number of franchise holders; last year they numbered 323 and were voted for by 750,000 fran chise holders. These franchise holders numbered less than 10 per cent of the men of voting age, there being a property qualifica tion which excludes from suffrage more than nine-tenths of the adult males. Eights of the Public in Japan 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 convoke and prorogue 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 to the next session. The constitution contains a bill of rights. Among other rights the Japanese subjects shall enjoy freedom of religious belief "within limits not prejudicial to peace and ordor and not antagonistic to their duties as subjects;" and "within the limits of law" they shall joy "the liberty of speech, writing, publication, public meeting and association." (After the Tokyo riots, which followed the an nouncement of the treaty with Russia, an urgency ordinance was issued restraining the press and certain newspapers were suspended under the ordinance, but it is probable that this urgency ordinance will be vigorously discussed at the coming session of the diet.) Seventh of This Notable Series of Letters Eighth Letter Will Appear in The Bee Next Sunday 7f.; , - ' . . .. .. . : ; , -7-v; . 'S::-i"---.-:-i:-!-"'-, -vAv. . - r i l i - , f - - o . A aW ' . '.A .- J - - .... -. .. . fsf v J i V - ,. ' present there Is little sewage, although there Is a pressing need for It. In the industrial development of Japan the people muBt meet the problem of child labor and the length of the working day. Women now work twelve hours In the factory, and one cannot see them and the children at toll without asking whether Japan can afford to impair the strength of the next generation for any advantage which may be derived from such long hours and such youthful labor. This subject is likely to be brought before the next session of the Diet. In some reforms Japan has moved more rapidly than the United States. Wherever It has water works In Its cities, they are owned and operated by the municipalities. It also has a telegraph system and a tele phone system operated by the national government. Tele grams are sent at the same rates to all parts of the empire and the service is satisfactory. The telephone service is not so good, for while it is all right as far as it goes, the system Is not extended as rapidly as the demand requires. In Tokyo, for instance, those who want to in stall telephones have to wait un til some one discontinues his 'phone or is willing to sell It, MARQUIS ITO, WHO FRAMED THE JAPANESE CONSTITUTION AND IS NOW PRESIDENT OF THE EMPEROR'S PRIVT COUNCIL. some years ago he lost a leg by the explosion of a bomb, thrown with murderous Intent by a political opponent, but it did not diminish his zeal in the prosecution of reforms. The fact that there were in the last diet 130 who styled themselves independent! shows that there is a considerable body to which the opposition party can appeal when the minister makes an. unpopular move. Beside the party organizations there are a number of societies formed for the study of political questions. There are economla associations In a number of the cities composed of the leading busi ness and professional men'. I met the members of these societies at Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya and was impressed with the attention that they are giving to economic problems. They have in Tokyo another organization called the Political Economy association, which deals more directly with matters of government. The society formed by the men who were educated in America, known as th Friends of America (Baron Kaneko is one of the leading members) takes a deep interest in all matters relating to government and. political economy. Problems that Confront the Statesmen The leading political question in Japan today, 'nsofar as it af fects domestic affairs', is whether the cabinet shall be selected by the emperor regardless of the prevailing sentiment In the house or be made to conform to the will of the people as expressed through their representatives. At present the emperor's councilors are chosen at his own discretion and the states of Satsuma and Chashu have had a controlling influence in the selection of the emperor's advisers. The democratic sentiment of the country is at this time crystallizing in favor of the demand that the emperor take for his premier the leader of the popular party, as the king of England does. However much this reform may be delayed by circumstances The emperor is assisted in the discharge of his executive duties 18 ouna 10 come lr japan Is to recognize the right of the people v a nrlmiTmlnliitAr anil ntna rianartment ministers: haatdaa thes to "Vern themselves. be has the advice of a privy council, composed of elder statesmen, of which Marquis Ito is now the president. Each state has what corresponds to our legislature, and each city has a council. Both of these bodies are elective and to the city council is entrusted the selection of the mayor. They have a judiciary, federal and local, appointed for life but no Jury system. Among the laws is one forbidding aliens to own property, although this is avoided to some extent by long time leases. There Is also a law by which a debt descends with the property to the oldest son, even though the debt may exceed the property. Through the courtesy of Hon. N. W. Mclvor, former consul general at Yokohama and now engaged In the practice of inter national law, I had an opportunity to meet a number of governors and congressmen, and found them, as a rule, an intelligent and ac complished body of men, many of them having finished their edu cation abroad. Their most famous minister of finance, Count Mat sukata, bore some resemblance to J. Pierpont Morgan. They have politics in Japan. The promise of a constitution seems to have been given by the emperor before there was any general agi tation for it, but as about twenty-one years elapsed between the mak ing of the promise and the realisation of the hopes excited by it, there was a period'of discussion. As early as 1874 several of the ministers Joined In a petition asking for the promulgation of the promised constitution. Their memorial being disregarded, they resigned their offices and became the founders of a democratic party. They call themselves liberals and their efforts resulted In an Imperial rescript Issued in 1881 fixing 1889 as the date for the beginning of constitutional government Marquis Ito is now the leader of the liberal party which had 130 members in the house of representatives In 1904. In 1881 Count Okuraa organised the progressive party which Lad last year a membership of ninety In the house of representatives. This Is known as the party of the opposition. Marquis Ito's party being the power behind the throne. There is not as much differ ence between these parties as between the platforms of the two lead ing parties of our country, but of the two Count Okuma's patty is the more radical. The count himself Is a born leader and exerts a large Influence upon the politics of his country. When premier .,70 :! (ts&&) v Sftr4? m$ life m 1 fet-to Ifi -W ; In the cities sanitation furnishes a most dlfflcult problem. At MUTSUHITO, EMPEROR OF JAPAN. An Iowa Aan's MANY queer things have, been shipped from one part of the country to another, but it has remained for an old soldier of Iowa to break the record by having shipped to him from South Carolina the hole through which he made his escape from prison during the civil war. On a recent visit to the south Major S. II. M. Byers. who Is the hero of this tale, visited the old prison at Columbia, S. C, where for fourteen long months he was kept a captive. v The old building had been remodeled,' but a carpenter was ob tained, and there, under a layer of new boards, the major was over joyed to find the identical hole which he had sawed out with a blunt casekulfe and through which be made the thrilling escape, which to this day has puzzled some of the confederate guards. The hole was cut out and presented to the major, who had it shipped north, and it now occupies k conspicuous place in his drawing room aloug with costly curios from abroad. Probably no more thrilling escape figured in the civil war than that of Major Byers. Sawing their way out with a blunt case knife, he and a comrade, Lieutenant Devlne of a Philadelphia regiment, secreted themselves for two nights and a day in a dark, stifling cubby hole over a porch, where they remained without food or water until they thought the soldiers had all been removed from the fort. Surrounded by waiting guards as soon as they emerged from their hiding place, they made a desperate dash for the gate In a rain of bullets and In the darkness made their escape. Major Byers is known to old soldiers all ever the country, having written the song, "Sherman's March to the Sea," while he was in prison. This was later taken up by the entire army, the song being carried through the lines in the artificial leg of a union soldier. It was when Major Byers was a youth of 24 and adjutant of the Fifth Iowa that he found himself with COO comrades shut up in the prison at Columbia, 8. C To . get newa from the eutalde Queer War Relic Major Byers bribed a negro who came Into the camp to sell bread to send him each morning in a loaf of bread a daily newspaper. In this way he learned that Sherman's army, returning from Its march to the sea, was now coining north. In view of this fact he felt sure the confederates would remove all their prisoners to some othor point out of Sherman's way. A day or two before Sherman's army was to reach the prison where he was a captive the major confided his scheme to Lieutenant Devine, who occupied the cot next to him, and In the dead watches of the night they worked with a dull caseknlfe at the board parti tion, and at last had hacked out a hole large enough for them to crawl through Into the thick darkness of the roof of a little porch. The hole was made in that part of the wall which came Just under the cot. After two nights and a day, believing that the coast was clear, they ventured forth In the darkness and stealthily stole downstairs. All was quiet. The major climbed to the top of the wall and there below them were about twenty guards who had been left to look for them, the rest of the soldiers having been taken to another prison as the major had predicted. Catching sight of their prey, the guards rushed in at the gate with a savage yell. In their excitement, however, they left the big gate open behind them. ' Making a dash for liberty, the major and bis com rade gained the gate and under cover of the friendly darkness made their escape. They w ere secreted In the cabin of a negro, where they waited for Sherman's army. When this arrived Major Byers was promptly put on the general's staff. "Sherman's March to the Sea" has been frequently confused with "Marching Through Georgia," which was written by Mr. Work of Chicago after the war was over. The Byers suug was aung by Sher man's men as the marched along. and a bonus is often demanded. If the local telephones were owned by the city and only the lnterurban lines managed by the imperial government, the service would respond more quickly to the needs of the community. The Japanese government also owns and operates a part of the railroad system, and in doing so employs nothing but nattve help; I traveled on both the government and private lines and could not see that they differed materially so far as efficiency was concerned. The first-class fare Is about 4 cents per mile (In our money), the second-class about 2 cents and the third-class (nearly all of the travel is third-class) about 1 cent. A reduction of 20 per cent Is made on return tickets, a reduction of from 20 to 80 per cent on commutation tickets and a reduction of from 45 to 80 per cent on season tickets for students. This reduction to students might be imitated to advantage In our country. The government road is all, or nearly all, double track and has the latest safeguards for the protection of passengers at depots. The Japanese are much given to meeting friends when they arrive and escorting them to the train when they leave, and this custom has led to the sale ot platform tickets for 1 cent (our money). Educational Questions that Are Uppermost Japan has two educational problems: First, the Increase in the percentage of those going from the primary to the middle schools, and, second, the cultivation of an ideal which will connect a respect for manual labor with Intellectual advancement. Today a large majority of its people work with their hands and at labor which forbids the wearing of good clothes. It Is probable that the educa tion of the masses will show itself to some extent in improved methods and In the more extensive use of animals and machinery, but there must remain a large amount of work which requires daily contact with the soil. The rice crop grows In the mud and cannot be harvested by machinery; the fields too are so small that they cannot well be cultivated with the aid of animals. The farmers' boys and girls are now going to school and gradually adopting the European dress. Will they be content to return to the paddy fields when they have finished their education? Some of the young men pull 'rikishas in the day time in order to earn money to attend school at night; will their learning make them unwilling to do hand work? Or will they substitute the cab for the 'rlklsha? Japan faces the educational problem that confronts the civilized world, viz., how to put behind a trained mind an Ideal which will make the educated citizen anxious to do service rather than to be waited upon. Tolstoi's solution of the problem is "bread labor," that is, physical toll sufficient to produce what one eats. This he believes will teach respect for labor and by dignifying It unite all parts of society In sympathetlo co-operation. Has any better solution been proposed? With a broader educational foundation Japan will find it necessary to extend the suf frage. At present the right to vote is determined by a strict property qualification and it will not be long before a large addition will be made to the voting population. The most serious national problem with which Japan has . to deal is that imposed upon it by the attempt to extend the sphere of its political Influence to Formosa on the southwest and Corea on the northwest. The people of Formosa do not welcome Japanese sovereignty and an army of some six or seven thousand is kept on that island to support Japanese au thority. . But Corea presents a still more delicate and perplexing situation. For more than 1,000 years a feud has existed between Japan and Corea and two attempts have been made by the former to invade the latter, the last about 300 years ago. At that time a number of captives were carried back to Kogoshlma, where they, as before . mentioned, introduced the art of making what has since been known as Satsuma ware. The fact that the de scendants of these captives have lived in a colony by them selves for three centuries with out Intermarrying with the Japanese is sufficient evidence of the feeling- entertained toward them by their captors. To aggravate the matter Jap an has engaged in two wars, first with China and then with Russia, over Corea, and it was also the cause of one civil war in Japan. Having driven China from Corea ten years ago and now having driven Russia out, it is undertaking to exercise a protectorate over the country. When It Is remembered that Corea is separated from' both Manchuria and Siberia by an imaginary line and that the Corea ns themselves regard the Japanese as intruders, some estimate can be formed of Japan's task. In a future article on Corea I shall speak of this subject more at length, but the matter Is referred te here because the experiment Is as dangerous to Japan as it is to Corea. Will Japan be able to accomplish what other nations have failed to do, viz., exercise a colonial power without abusing it and with out impoverishing itself? W. J. BRYAN. (Copyright, 1908.) Strange Prophecy Fulfilled. An extraordinary prophecy made by Mrs. James Budd, wife of ex-Governor Budd, was brought to a startling fulfillment at Stock ton, Cal., when the body of Jack Hall, a well known hackman, was pulled from the channel. About six months ago Mrs. Lydla Doctor, an aged woman who had long been a subject of charity, passed away. The funeral v. as quite large. An undertaking company had charge of the funeral and con traded with local hackmen for the carriages. Mrs. Budd, however, engaged her own hack. Her driver was not In good standing with the other drivers and when he appeared at the funeral they waited upon a representative of the undertaking company and told him that If Mrs. Budd's driver was permitted to remain In line they would take their hacks out. The director of the funeral informed the insurgent hackmen that he had nothing to do with the engaging of "Cabby" and that they would have to see Mrs. Budd. Straightway the hackmen cau cused and selected Jack Hall to wait upon Mrs. Budd. The hack man made his statement to Mrs. Budd, whereupon she declared to Hall: "Cod surely will punish you for making this trouble at this hour. He certainly will punish you." This was the last funeral in which Hall ever drove a hack. Im mediately thereafter his eyesight began to fall him. He quit hack driving and lounged about the streets. Finally his sight became to bad that he was obliged to feel his way about with a cane. About nine days ago Hall was missed. The finding of his body in the lough revived memories of the prophecy. San Francisco Call,
