Wichita eagle., 1888-05-02
THE RUSSIAN CENSOR.
A CONTEMPLATE FEATURE OF THE
ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM.

Every Foreign Newspaper Examined and
All Objectionable Matter Blotted Ont.
How Letters Are Violated without
Scruple-Advice to Correspondents.
The censor must examine every copy
before it IS issued 10 the public. For his
convenience the papers are printed one
day in advance. The type of Thursdays
paper is set on Tuesday. On Wednesday
morning the forms are made up; one copy
is printed and sent to the censor, who
looks it over at his leisure during the day,
and returns it to the Office with his official
stamp of approval on each page. This
copy is carefully filed away as protec
tion for the editor, who then sets his
presses at work and orders the edition
distributed to the subscribers. If there is
anything in it that the censor cannot APP
prove he marks the Objectionable article,
which is taken out of the forms and some
thing else substituted. If the censor is
otherwise engaged the paper has to wait
Sometimes the issue Of Tuesday will be
detained till Wednesday and sent out with
the Wednesday issue, but it makes very
ullic Uluereuct. l-aSC week paper Is
just as interesting as today's.
EXAMINATION OF THE MAILS
All foreign mails are also submitted to
the censor, not the same man who reads
the local papers, but another, who has his
headquarters and staff of readers at the
gen al postoftice. All newspaper mail is
dumped on his table, except that ad-
dressed to the members of the diplomatic
corps and high officials. That is supposed
to be delivered promptly without exam
nation. So the American minister gets
his papers sometimes a week ahead of
other residents. Every wrapper is opened.
If the paper contains an Objectionable arti-
Gle, something in the way of criticism of
''the administrative system" of Russia,
for example, the censor takes large pad,
dips it in the ink and stamps it upon the
article, obliterating it. Thus no incen-
diary ideas are allowed to obtain circula
ton among the people. No criticisms of the
government are allowed to be read, and no
news from exiled nihilsts.
When the censor has read one copy of a
paper, The London Times, for example,
he tucks it back into the wrapper and
throws it into basket for delivery, pick
ing up the next paper that comes to his
hand. If he finds that it is a copy Of The
London Times of the same date he stamps
out the Objectionable article that he has
read before and throws 1t into the basket
without further examination. If the first
copy examined was found to contain
nothing exceptional he examines no more
of them, but throws them into the basket
as fast as they come. To simplify mat
tiers, the circulation of very few foreign
papers are allowed in Russia.
The censors cannot possibly read every
thing sent through the mails, so they con-
fine their labors to the principal journals
of Europe and destroy the remainder.
One can receive The London Times or
News or Standard in Russia, but no other
London dailies. He can have Punch and
the monthlies, provided they contain
nothing Objectionable He can have
Figaro, Gil Bias, The Petit Journal and
one or two others of the Paris papers,
but he cannot get the strong re-
publican papers of that city. The New
York Herald is the only American daily
that can be taken. The censor will not
read any other, SO there is no use having
them sent had two daily papers sent
me from the United States all the time |
was in Russia, but not one of them was
delivered. was told at the pos:office
that the censor does not have time TO read
every transient paper that came in the
mails. and none could be delivered TILL he
had read it. He had only time to read
one American paper, and If | wanted TO
subscribe for that il would be delivered.
This censorship Of the mails is the most
cowardly and contemplate feature of the
Russian administrative system. IL is
simply a confession of weakness that
tempts the average man TO sympathize
with revolutionary element, and they
justly make ii one of their chief causes OF
complaint The Russian postoffics is
under the direction Of the police like
everything else, and is one of their strong
holds
HOW LETTERS ARE VIOLATED.
They have the power TO open letters rs
well as papers, and often exercise it, In
fact there is no limit 10 their power II
citizen or foreigner is suspected of sym
pathy with the revolutionary element. or
Is supposed 10 be in communication with
agitators, whether at home or in exile, the
police give orders to have ali his letters
delivered 20 them. The gum upon the lid
Of the envelope il moistened By being held
over a Jet OF steam, and opened, or a thin
knife with a keen edge IS slipped under
the seal The letter is read, reseaied and
sent back to the possofhce, or IL Is retained
as evidence Of treason.
Letters going out Of the Russian post
Offices are examined, as well as those that
come IN. All packages addressed to