自叙伝(10) Tanaka Shozo Autobiography

1884年　４２歳

昨日の郡長課長、皆な病と称して東京に走る。独り那須郡長藤田吉亨のみ、三島に面会せずして職を辞す。佐藤信哉、倉持正作も次で辞す。この二人は硬骨の人なり。

Former county chiefs and department directors all took sick leave and ran to Tokyo to pay visit to Mishima.Fujita Yoshichika,county chief of Nasu,did not meet him and resigned.Sato Shinnya and Kuramochi Shosaku followed him and resigned.These men were men of principle.

正造、一日、三島放逐の謀図にて藤田翁を那須に訪ふ。翁は鈎を垂れて川辺に在り。予を見て、家に帰り、一詩を賦して正造に示す。正造辞して去る。

One day I visited Fujita at his home in Nasu. I thought we might work together to drive out Mishima.I found him angling at the river.He saw me and returned to his house with me.He wrote a poem and showed it to me.I said goodbye and left.

十七年三月、県庁を宇都宮に移したり。依之、栃木の旧県庁を払下げ、其金六千円の迹を曖昧せしめたり。是れ三島が栃木県令となりし第一着の事業たり。

The head office of the prefecture was moved to Utsunomiya in March,the 17th year of Meiji.The former buildings of the head office were sold for ￥6,000,which found its way to the hands of Mishima.No detailed accounts were given.This was the first project of Mishima.

夫より宇都宮の士族及び町人の家を毀ちて、県庁及び学校を建築す。

He then started demolishing the houses which belonged to samurai class and also ordinary people in order to build new head office buildings and schools.  In Edo Period the population belonged either one of four classes,the ruling samurai class, the peasant farmers class, the artisans and craftsmen class, and the merchants and traders class.Merchants were looked down upon because they dealt with dirty money and they were thought to gain their profits  by deception and treachery.

宇都宮の北に丘陵あり、原野あり、広野あり、人戸を毀ちて地を選むの要なし。これ三島が第二の着手なり。

The demolition of houses was totally unnecessary because there were a vast plain fields in the north.This was the second project done by Mishima.

県会常置委員等、新県宇都宮に出張す。三島通庸は福島県失策以来の攻略を変更し、

Members of regular committees of prefectural assembly were invited to visit the new capital city of Utsunomiya.Mishima Michitsune learned from his failure he had committed in Fukushima and took a different tactics from that he had taken in Fukushima.

下野にては、先づ常置委員を篭絡し、県会を生捕り、然る後に各郡の土木に運ばんとし、不取常置委員に酒肉を飽かしめんとし、一夜、県令の通知なり、某楼に来らるべし。当時定まれる役席もなき折柄、常置委員某楼に集まる。

Here he  first planned to entertain  regular committee members with sake and expensive dishes to win them over to his side before the real constructions started.All the committee members received an invitation card sent from Mishima saying that they were to come to a certain high-end restaurant-entertainment hall.Everyone gathered at the hall since there were no meeting scheduled at the assembly that day.

弦歌已に湧き、官吏媒酌、芸娼両妓各々相手方あり、但し官選なり。

The party was on with songs and music.Officials were busy going round among the guests to pour sake.Geisha and escort girls were allotted among them.These girls,however,were hired by the government.

常置委員等満面憤りて嘲弄と呼ぶ。官吏等言ふ、先づ初面会の祝宴なりと、或いは怒りを慰めるあり。終に先づその会費を問ふて盃を取る。

Seeing this,the committee members got angry and cried out that this was a disgrace for them.The officials replied that the party was just meant as an occasion to get to know each other.Some of us accepted their excuse.Finally we took the cup only after we demanded them to tell us the amount of the party fee.

時移り星巡り、半夜忽ち戸外カチカチの音あり、警官突入、本籍を調ぶ。

Hours passed and around the midnight we heard knocking sounds outside.Suddenly a group of policemen burst into and began inquiring about the names and addresses.

座中に一等属警部あり、査公逡巡進まず。警部枕して名を答ふ。正造曰く、査公の職上なり、来りて能く面を見よと。已にして査公去る。

One of the officials present at the party was a police commander.A police constable approached him,but  was afraid to ask his name.The commander told his name.I said to the constable,"Come closer.He is your superior." The constable left without a word.

官吏曰く、田中君は正直な人なり、我々福島県にて河野広仲等を捕縛せる当時は、中々コンな音なしきものでは無い。また旅舎検などに来れば、明日は直に免とやらかすのだ。今の奴は近い中に免だと。

The commander said that Mr.Tanaka was a honest man.He also said,"When we arrested back in Fukushima Kono Hironaka,the influential people's rights activist,they put up a great resistance.If some policemen made a raid in a hotel while we were staying,we sacked them the next day.This constable tonight will be kicked out soon."

正造、此言を聴き、汝は本性を失はざるやと、音声少しく改まる。彼未だ悟らず。正造重ねて言ふ、今の言今一応予が前に陳べよと。

Hearing him say this,I raised my voice and accused him saying,"Did you forget you are a public servant?" He did not still realize.I again said,"Repeat in front of me what you have just said."

而て彼漸くさとり、失敬と一言す。正造聴かず、汝の如き暴悪官吏ありて而して福島事件起る、三島は国の大賊なりと。彼、県令のことを賊とは聴き捨てならぬと言ふ。正造、会費を投げつけて帰る。爾来また正造に交通を求めず。

Now he understood and remarked that he was sorry.I did not accept his apology and told him,"Lawless and evil officials like you have caused the Fukushima scandal.Your master,Mishima, is the enemy of the state." He talked back saying,"It's inexcusable to call Governor the enemy of the state." I threw the party fee and immediately left.Since then he never tried to talk to me.

已にして県庁新築の地祭あり。人多く之に赴く。正造、その近傍の丘陵に上り、一樽を携へ行き、一男一女を集め、冷酒スルメ、眼下の大会と相対す。双方正に冷評す。是れ志気作興に於て勢止むを得ざるの動作なり。

The ground-breaking ceremony for the new prefectural head office was already held.Many people attended.I went up the nearby hill with a bottle of sake accompanied with my son-in-law and daughter-in-law.I sipped cold sake nibbling dried squid and watched the gathering from above.I needed this in order to solidify my determination to fight this evil man.

各郡役所は、前県令藤川時代に新築せしものあるにも拘はらず、更にこれを新築すべしと、各郡中より寄付金を募る。凡そ一万円の寄付あれば、五千円にて工事を畢へて、残金は曖昧せしむる為に、此の不急無用の土木を起こせり。

Although all the counties had their offices newly built when Fujikawa was the Governor,Mishima ordered these offices be rebuilt.He also ordered to collect "donations" to finance the constructions.If he succeeds to gather ￥10,000,he allocates \5,000 for the construction and to pocket the rest.He ordered these unnecessary constructions only because he wanted to make more money himself.

上都賀郡役所新築に付ては、庭園に飾付けの石を取寄す。其石一個にて六万貫目の大石あり、抑も何の用あって、此大石を庭中に飾りたるか。

At Kamitsuga the county office buildings  were rebuilt.A huge stone was brought in to the new garden.This single stone weighs 225 tons(sic).What made them decorate the garden with the giant stone first of all?

県庁、師範学校、監獄署の地を献納せしめ、士農工商の者、皆家を捨てて逃るあり、家を毀ちて運び去るあり。然れ共名は献納なり。

People of all classes were forced to "donate" their lots in order to build the prefectural office buildings,a school for teachers and prisons.Some abandoned their houses,others broke down their houses and took the usable materials with them.Nominally these lots of land were "donated",but people were actually forced to give up their houses.

宇都宮全町宅地地価凡十万円。之に賦課せし寄付金も十万円なり。全町の宅地代価は、悉く県庁と師範学校監獄署三建築の為に消費し去れり。

The total price of land of all the towns in Utsunomiya is about ￥100,000.The amount of donations imposed upon the land owners is also ￥100,000.All these money was squandered to build the prefectural offices,a school for teachers and prisons.

同町豪商佐野屋久右衛門は、一人にて七千円の寄付を出さしめられたり。主人他出にて番頭受け合はず。警官数百名其の家を囲み、家宅捜索をなし、万一主人家に居るに於ては、官令に抗拒するの罪に処すべしとて、終に威嚇、正に七千円を強納せしめたり。

Sanoya Kyuzaemon,a wealthy and prosperous merchant,was forced to donate ￥7,000 by himself.The master of the house was not at home.The manager did not comply.Several hundreds of policemen surrounded the house and searched.They intimidated,"If we find the master,we will charge him of resisting the order of the authority." Finally,Sanoya was made "to donate" ￥70,000.

偶々権利を知るものあり。宇都宮人本田某は士族なり。県庁表門となるべき位置に在り。

Here was a man who knew how to fight.This man,Honda,was of samurai class.His house was happened to be the place where the front gate of the prefectural head office was planned to be built.

官吏正に其家を毀たんとす。本田、槍を提げ、我家は先祖の槍先に得たり、之を渡すは槍先の勝敗なりとて、動かず。

The demolition team came and just started to pull down his house.Honda came with a lance in his hands and said,"My ancestors won this house having fought with their lances.If you want to take it,I will fight you with my lance." He would not give an inch.

三島、士族の人気を騒がすを利あらずとし、即ち交代の地面多分を与へ、凡三倍を与へて立去らしむ。宇都宮に権利を知れるもの、当時は此人のみならん。

Mishima calculated that it was not for his favor to turn the samurai class against him,he caved in and gave Honda an alternative land which was three times  larger than his present lot,which he accepted and left.I think at that time this man was the only one in Utsunomiya who knew his rights.

田中正造 1841年12月15日 - 1913年（大正2年）9月4日Tanaka Shozo dedicated his life for the farmers who were victimized by the pollution of Ashio Copper Mine. He is one of the pioneers of environmental movement in Japan.

ODONTA PRESS

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