Omaha daily bee., 1888-12-14
A MOSLEN ON JOURNALISM.
Extracts From the Circular of
Ahmed Aarifl Effendi
NO MORE CONTINUED STORIES
Some OF the Unique Features Con.
tained in the Instructions of the
Government Censor to Ed
itors in Islam.
For the Guidance of the Press.

French Turque, the Arabic El Die12aO, the
Persian Althbar, the Italian Tempo, and the
English Eastern Express, all being news
papers published in the capital of the Otto.
man empire, are to be heartily congratulated,
says the London Telegraph, on the appoint.
meut by the smblime porte of a new director
and censor of the press, whose name is
Ahmed Aarif Effcnd This remarkable
functionary has sent out circular for the
guidance and government of all editors in
Constantnople and Pera; and the text of
this document, which has just been published
in the French language, may certainly be re-
gardcd as almost unsurpassed for humorous
aggressiYencss in the annals of official COM
muniqucs. 1t was Figaro, in Beaumarchais'
immortal comedy, who remarked that u
Spanish journalist, so long as he left wholly
untouched such subjects as religion, politics
and law, and if he did not speak i'll of people
in place, or the reignng favoritcs of society,
or the taxes, or the opera, might write al
most anything he pleased, subject to the
supervision of three or four ccnsors. But
Ahmed Aurif Etfendis views of press cen
sorship are far more extensive than those
hinted at By the witty Barber of Seville.
"Do not says the Effcudi, in the third ar
ticle of his circular publish scientific or
literary articles too long for completion in
single issue Avoid the notice, 10 be con-
tinued,' which causes an uncomfortable ten
sion in the mind.n There are many Euro
pean readers of periodicals who may feel in
clined to agree in this respect with the Tur
klsh censor, and TO whom "to be continued"
are hateful words A story is eXtant of
young gentleman who had Just left Il public
school, and 10 wnom the pcrusal of course
of the British Essavists' had been rec
commended as conducive TO the i'm
4.
began with the "Tatler" but when
he came to the sixth number, i'll which
Steele commences a systematic epitomc of
the "llad,n but breaks off at the tenth
canto, promising to give the remainder in an
early issue, the young gentleman flung down
the book in deep disgust, saying that he had
heard quite enough about Homer at school,
and that 1t was too bad to serve him out in
slices from week to week. Curiously enough,
Sir Richard Steele would appear to have
been of one opinion with the school boy; for,
although he promised to continue his epitome
of the "lliad," he never kept his word. The
best valid plea that can be advanced in favor
of the notice of the "to be continued is per-
haps that the appearance of the work in Il
fragmcntary form enables the reader of the
succeeding part comfortably to forget all
about the portions which have gone before;
so that when the book is published in COM
pleted form it bears new and original look,
and the author is paid twice over.
'AvOid blank spaces and suggestive dots
in the body of an article. They tend to raise
supposition and disturb the tranquility Of the
readers mind, as was recently seen in the
case OF the Lcvant Herald.n Well, we are
not prepared entirely to deny the validity of
the Effend's contention. The tranquility of
the Osmanli mind might certainly be dis
turbcd by an article interSpcrsed with dOts
and which contained darkly inconsequent
illusions to Glaours drinking boiling water
in Eblis; contractors for government loans
broiling on everlasting gridirons; drinkers
of champagne chOlSed with date-stones;
wcarers of tall hats pursued by tiends;
while the Franks in general, and the
Moscovs III particular, We're devoted to
Jchannum and denounced as dogs, always |
with plenty of dots between the sentences.
Nor, moreover should we be very angry
with the Effendi when we find him in his |
fifth paragraph, bidding the Ottoman editors
to 'avod personalities. If anybody comes |
and tells you that a governor or a deputy |
governor has been guilty of embezzement, |
maladminstration, or any other blame !
worthy conduct treat the charge as not |
proved and say nothing about It," The |
Effendi evidently understands to nicely |
the art of making things comfortable; but he |
can also plead very high authority indeed for |
decrying anything of the nature of public |
scandalum magnatum. What says the |
prophet of Islam IN the fOrty-nnth chapter of |
the Koran entitled "The Inner Apartments" 2" |
80 true believers let not men laugh other |
men to scorn, who pcradventure
women laugh other women to scorn, who |
may be possibly better than themselves; |
neither defame one another nor call one an
other by opprobriOus appellations. true
belevcrsl carefully avoid entertaining sus-
picion Of another, for some suspicious are "a
crime. Inquire not too curiously into other
mems failings, neither let one of you speak
i'll of another in his Absence" There it is.
What though there be something rotten in
the state of ErZerOum! Is any ill-condi-
toned grievance. monger to 90 to the editor
of the Anvari Charkle, and tell that Iomanic
journalist that the Turkish garrison are fed
upon mouldy lentils and sour rice and that
the governor Is addicted to tpsifying himself
with raki, gambling at map and reading
Turkish translatonS of the novels of M.
Lola! If the Dasha of klcptopols, having
ground the faces of the rayahs IN
his province, has popped three quarters
taxes into his own pocket instead of paying
them into the treasury, are his misdeeds to
be blazOned far and wide by all and sundry;
The great object IN life to Judge from the
thendi's friendly admOnitiOns, is 10 keep
things quiet. He distinctly forbids the edi-
tors under his control to publish the text of
petitions in which individuals or associations
complain of acts of misgOvernment, and call
the sultan's attention to them. 1t Is quite
bad enough that the poor dear sultan should
be worried by associations or by individuals
who fancy that they have grounds for com
plant against somebody or something, but it
s into!erable that the easy-goiqg sub
|
heir lives rendered burden to
hem, and be made incapable of enjoying
heir coffee and their chibOucks by reading
ong wnded lists OF grievances submitted TO
he consideration of the Padshan. Let
ilaOurs grumble; it is their nature TO, but
he good moslem should never let his angry
PASSIONS rise If we argue entirely from
Ahmed Aariii's standpoint, the c0ntcmpO-
AIRY Turk has, all things considered, Il very
good time OF it, At all events, his head is
afe upon his shoulders, and if he be a pasha
ie is not in the perpctually uneasy cxpecta
ION of the arrival Ola Tartar from the porte
With frman and a silkcn bowstring, ''to be
aiken AT bed time"
Things were different in the days of Ali
oasha of lanina, whom Sir Hudson Lowe
old 0'Meara at 81. Helena he considered to
much more respectable sCoundrel than
Napoleon, When Ali was in want of ready
the lack of pence was chronic
complaint with him--he used TO sit down at
he gate of his palace, with his head bent
iown, his eyes closed, and his hands folded
n an attitude Of supplicatOn, and on either
lde of him was big brazen dish. Be
lind him were two sla1es who con
inually shouted "Behod a poor,
'ery poor man Aims, for the sake
# the most merciful Allah, almsP' The
eading inhabitants Of Yanlna were
made TO deflc before the palace; aud, singu-
ar 10 relate, if the chink of gold COINS was
lot distinctly audible in the brass basins