Show old and new japan ot old japan there were few vio lent contrasts between rich and poor and in fact the industrial plutocrat was unknown says a contributor to the london mall the nobly born were rich if rich at all only in land and rice and they were not envied as they seem to belong to the natural order of creation but to day the tradesman and the manufacturer who were once almost the lowest of mankind infinitely below the tillers of the soil are becoming insolently rich and are the real lords of japan chile the children of samurai are glad to get small clerkships from those whom their fathers despised I 1 have been spending much time in darkest tokyo of late and the ml cro misery to be found there would make a story appalling to those who fancy japan la nothing but swaying lanterns and softly falling cherry blossoms buying and selling Is conducted on such an infinitesimal scale among these submerged wretch es that the sum of sixpence will pro vide a handsome stock for a hawker in popular lines of food among these unfortunates who often wall the streets at night for want of a halfpenny to engage hodg ings on a damp floor sm arming vermin one hears the doctrines br Proud hon and ferdinand lassalle dis cussed volubly their works have been translated into little pamphlets and read to the illiterate by the occasional scholar who carries a few thousand Idea graphs in his brain japan hs come so far they all say why will it not be well to ga the entire route or at least so tar the ideal stated poor hungry bedraggled dreamers t gut they are not alone for the japanese of all ranks outside of the hour and the great nobles are ask ing the same thing with eminent practicality they ask why Is it not as easy to get a government that represents the best conception of man as to worry along with a makeshift that Is manifestly imperfect before japan lies the sinister shadow of an irresistible conflict |