Page:Political Condition of Japan.djvu/17

 official circle as a slow but sure method of suppressing the newspapers. But at present all the Japanese newspapers put on the paper the names of some poor men as the editors and proprietors. Whenever they are punished, the real editors and proprietors are always safe. The Japanese government is satisfied with sending some poor struggling student to prison as the editor of the paper.

In spite of these difficulties and obstacles the Japanese people continued organizing themselves with the object of propagating liberal ideas. Political speeches were delivered in all parts of Japan. I myself went to the northeastern provinces, such as Shinshu, Yarnagata, Yechigo, and others. People began to attend the meetings in thousands, and I often spoke in meetings consisting of two or three thousand people. Every sign of the powerful popular movement was shown in these meetings.

At last the liberal party was formed in Tokio in 1881. Two principal papers became its organs, and very important questions were brought forward. The present Cabinet, seeing the pressure of popular influence, advised the Mikado to make a promise to establish a representative assembly in 1890. Thus everything was going on favorably for this popular movement. But one serious mistake which we made in this movement was the election of a leader who was utterly incapable of the management of a political party. As subsequent events proved, he was a man of very imperfect abilities, who could be governed by any influence, and whose temper was as fickle as the wind. But why was he elected to such a responsible position as this? The reason was that he was one of the Cabinet Ministers in the government some years before and resigned his position, having quarreled with the rest of the Ministers. Having been converted into a liberal politician, he was supposed by some a proper person to lead the new movement. The event proved the contrary. When the party was formed, newspapers established, and everything ready for active movements, Itagaki Taisuke, the newly elected leader, suddenly announced through one of his friends that he must leave Japan at once and go to Europe for a year. Every reasonable persuasion was used to have him remain in