Manhood suffrage in Japan

SOME of the political changes recently introduced in Japan throw an interesting sidelight on the effect of the introduction of democratic ideas and ideals in eastern countries. A most important political change introduced in Japan in May last year was the passing of an Act granting manhood suffrage to the people. This enabled every Japanese male above the age of 25 to vote without possessing any property or other qualification. This reform increased the number of voters from 3 to 12 million and naturally produced several important changes in the political institutions and party ideals of the nation. Hitherto the formation of political parties was based on the personal importance of the leaders. This led to numerous intricacies and uncertainties. It was stated that few outsiders could understand the activities of various parties, guided as they were by more or less personal or class influence. The elder statesmen practically controlled the entire political machinery, but now that manhood suffrage has been granted to the people, the influence of the masses has been felt, and it is believed that the influence of the elders will decrease, if not vanish altogether, in the course of time. It has already brought about a very wholesome change in the minds of the masses who had imbibed advanced socialistic and communist doctrines. Their interest in the existing Constitution with a view to effecting reforms constitutionally has manifested itself and it is anticipated that the new Japanese Parliament will be more genuinely democratic than the old.