Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-19
THE RUSSIAN CENSOR.
A CONTEMPLATE FEATURE OF THE
ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM.

A CONTEMPLATE FEATURE OF THE
ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM.
Every Foreign Newspaper Examined and
All Objectionable Matter Blotted Out
How Letters Are Violated without
scrupIe-Advice to Correspondents.
The censor must examine every copy
before it IS issued to 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 a protec-
tion for the editor, who then sets his
presses at work and orders the edition
distributed to the subscribers. II there IS
anything in IL that the censor cannot ap
prove he marks the Objectionable article,
which is taken out OF the forms and some
thing else substituted. II the censor is
otherwise engaged the paper has 20 wait.
Sometimes the issue Of Tuesday will be
detained till Wednesday and sent out with
the Wednesday issue, but it makes very
little difference. Last weeks paper IS
Just as interesting as today's.
ExAMISATIoS 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 a staff of readers at the
general postofIice. All newspaper mail is
dumped on his table, except that adj
dressed to the members Of tine diplomatic
corps and high officials. That is supposed
to be delivered promptly without exam
ination. SO the American minister gets
his papers sometimes a week ahead of
other residents. Every wrapper is opened.
II 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 1t upon the
article, celebrating it. Thus no incen-
diary ideas are allowed to obtain circuia-
ton among the people. No criticisms Of the
government are allowed to be read, and no
news from exiled nihilists.
When the censor has read one copy of
paper, The London Times for example,
he tucks it LICK into the wrapper and
throws it into Il 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 it into the basket
without further examination. If the first
copy examined was found to contain
nothing exceptional he examines 10 more
Of them, but throws them into the basket
as fast as they come. To simplify mat
ters, 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 tod at the postofIice
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 1t would be delivered.
This censorship of the mails is the most
cowardly and contemplate feature of the
Russian administrative system. 1t is
sfptply Il hot
tempts the average man to svmpathize
with revolutionary element, and they
justly make it one of their chief causes of
complaint The Russian postoliice 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 as
well as papers. and often exercise it, In
fact there is no limit to their power If n
citizen or foreigner is suspected of sym
pathy with the revolutionary element, or
is supposed to he in communication with
agitators. whether AT home or in exile, the
police give orders to have all his letters
delivered to them. Tie gum upon the lid
of the envelope is moislencd 10y being held
over "A jet of steam, and opened, or II thin
knife with a keen edge is slipped under
the seal. The letter is read, reseuled and
sent back to the pos office, or it is retained
as evidence of treason.
Letters going out of the Russian post
offices are examined, rs well rs those that
come in. All packages addressed to
foreign newspapers are opened and their
contents read. Correspondents residing
in Russia write upon the thinnest sort of
stationery and address the envelopes to
individuals or business firms so ms to
avoid the espionage of the police, WHO
destroy everything that in any way g
fleets upon The administrative system .
All manuscripts carried in BAGS OF
trunks by travellers are examined nj the
Russian custom houses to avoid the CirCu-
lation Of iucendiary literature. All news
papers found in the cars that cross the
border are seized and destroyed | had -
lot OF newspaper clippings in an envelope,
which had cut from time to time. relat
ing to Russia. y gentleman in Berlin,
who was familiar with the operations of
the Russian police, advised me not to
take them with me, as they would GER
tainly cause me trouble if discovered by
the police. A gentleman connected with
the police at Petersburg, to whom spoke
OF this, said my friends advice was good.
man or customs officer they certainly
would have resulted ill my detention until
my character and purposes had been in
vestigated He kindly suggested too,
knowing my business, that if | intended
to write anything about the cou y it
would be better not to commence till
had passed the borders.
The same espionage is exercised over
the telegraph rs over the mails A cor
respondent dare not send a dispatch by
wire from Petersburg to newspaper. 1t
would never be delivered If it contained
anything objectionable, and if it did not,
the fact of his having sent such a mes
sage would make him the object of sus-
pcion and police attention. Correspond
ents of foreign newspapers in Russia have
arrangements by which they send their
news by mail to some agent across the
border, who opens the envelope and tele
graphs its contents. William Eleroy
Curtis in Chicago News.