Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-05-16
THE POLICE OF RUSSIA.
Mighty Power Which supervises Every
Petty Detail Of the Russians Life.

Mighty Power Which Supervises Every
Petty Detail Of the Russians Life.
There is probably no country in the
world where the public power occupies
wider field, plays a more important part,
or touches the private personal lire of
The citizen at more points than it does in
Russia. In country h&e England or
The United States, where the people are
the governing power, the functions of
the police are simple and clearly defined
and are limiteG, for the most part, to the
prevention or the detention Of crime, and
the maIntsnanoe of order in public places.
IL Russia, however, where the people are
not the governing power but hold to that
power the relation Of an infant ward to
2 guardian, the police occupy very
different and much more I'M pOrtant posi-
tlOn.
The theory upon which toe govern
ment OF Russia proceeds Ii that the aiti-
zen not ooiy is incapable Of raking part
% the management OF the affairs in his
copntry, his province or his district, 5ut
Is incompetent to manage even the af-
fairs OF MS own households; and that.
from the time ae leaves ais cradle and
begins the struggle Of life dowu TO the
tme when his weary gray head is finally
laid under the sod, ne must Be guided,
instructed, restrained repressad, regu.at-
ed, fenced in, fenced out, braced mp, kept
uown, and made 80 do generally what
somebody else thinks il best fog him.
The natural outcome of this paterual
theory of government is the c0noeurra-
ton OF all administrative authority in
the hands of a few high officials and an
enormous extension OF the police power.
Matters that in Other countries are left
so the discretion of the individual citizen,
or to the judgment of a small group of
citizens, are regulated in Russia by the
minister of the interior through the i'm
perial police. If you are a Russian, says
! George KEENAN, IN the Century, and wish
10 establish newspaper, you must ask
the permission of the minister of the in
terror. Il you wish to open a sunday
school Ut amy other sort of school,
Whethe in a neglected slum of st.
! Petersburg or in a native village in KAN
chatka, GU must ask the permission Of
the mlhlster OF public instruction. IL
! you wish TO give concert or 60 get up
taOieaux for the benefit of an orphan
yum you must ask permission of the
Representative of the minister of the in
terror, then submit your programme of
| exercises to 2 censor for approval or re-
vision, aud finally hand over the proceeds
Of the entertainment TO the police to be
/ embe zZlsd or given TO the orphan asylum,
gs 10 may happen. II you wish TO sell
newspapers on the street You must get
permtssioD, be registered 10 the books
/ of the police, aud wear numbered brass
/ plate IS big as a sauger around your
\ neck. II you wish to open d drug store,
/ a printing Office, photograph gallery,
I or bookstore you must get permission.
/ IL yJu are photographed and desire TO
I change the location of your busI0ess you
| must get permission. II you are slu-
/ dent and 60 20 public library . con
suit Lyeirs "Prineipies Of Geology or
/ Speucer's Social States you viii hnd
4 that you cannot even look nj such dan
/ gerous and Inceudiary volumes without
/ special permission. If you are pnysi'
| clan you must get permission before you
/ can practice, and then II you do not wish
\ 10 pond to calls in the night you must
have permission to refuse to 90; further
more, il you wish 60 prescribe what are
/ known in Russia as "pOwerfullY acting
medicines you must have special permis-
sion, or the druggist will not dare TO MI
4 your Prescriptions. II you are peasant
and wish to build a bath house on your
\ premises You must get permission. II
4 You wish to thresh out your grain in the
evening, by cardle-light you muss get
Z pei mission or bgibe the police. II you
wish to go more thaR fifteen miles from
\ home you must get permission. Ii you
are foreign traveller you must get per
/ mission to come into the empire, per
mission to 60 out Of it, permission TO
/ stay in il longer than six months ana
must notify the police every time you
change your boarding place. In short,
4 you cannot live. move or have Your be-
ing in the Russian empire without per-
miss on.