piritual forces which count for
so much in the total life of the country, in the total impression it
makes and the hopes for the future which it raises, that they cannot
be left unnoticed."[1]

If this be the case in the study of the American commonwealth, it is
more so in that of Japanese politics. For nowhere else in the history
of nations do we see "non-political institutions" exerting such a
powerful influence upon the body politic as in New Japan. In this
chapter we shall therefore note briefly the growth of so-called
"non-political institutions" during a period of about a decade and
a half, between 1868 and 1881, and mark their influence upon the
development of representative ideas.

I.--MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.

1. Telegraph. At the time of the Restoration there was no telegraph
in operation, and "for expresses the only available means were men and
horses." In 1868 the government began to construct telegraphs, and
the report of the Bureau of Statistics in 1881 shows the following
increase in each successive year:

Telegraph Number
Year. Offices. Miles. of Telegrams.
Ri Cho.
1869-1871 8 26.04 19,448
1872 29 33.11 80,639
1873 40 1,099.00 186,448
1874 57 1,333.20 356,539
1875 94 1,904.32 611,866
1876 100 2,214.07 680,939
1877 122 2,827.08 1,045,442
1878 147 3,380.05 1,272,756
1879 195 3,842.31 1,935,320
1880 195 4,484.30 2,168,201

All the more important towns in the country were thus made able to
communicate with one another as early as 1880.

In 1879 Japan joined the International Telegraph Convention, and since
then she can communicate easily with the great powers of the world
through the great submarine cable system. "Compared with the state of
ten years ago, when the ignorant people cut down the telegraph poles
and severed the wires," exclaims Count Okuma, "we seem rather to have
made a century's advance."

2. Postal System. "Previous to the Restoration," to quote further
from Count Okuma, "with the exception of the posts sent by the Daimios
from their residences at the capital to their territories, there
was no regularly established post for the general public and private
convenience. Letters had to be sent by any opportunity that occurred,
and a single letter cost over 25 sen for a distance of 150 ri. But
since the Re