The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-07-13
RUSSIAN POLICE.
The DeSpotic Peace Guardians
Of the White Car.
Under Surveillance from the
Cradle 20 the Grave.

field, plays more important part, or
touches tie private personal life of the
citizen at more points than it does in
Russia. In a country like England
or the United States, where the people
are the governing power, the functions
of the police are simple AL clearly de-
fined, and are limited, for the most part,
70 the prevention or the detection of
crime, and the maintenance of order in
public places. In Russia, however,
where the people are not the governing
power, but hold to that power the rela-
ton of an infant ward to Il guardian,
the police occupy very different and
much moEe important position.
''Thc theory upon which the Govern
ment of Russia proceeds is, that the cit
izen not only is incapable of taking part
in the management of the affairs of his
country, his province, or his district, but
is incompetent to manage even the af-
fairs of his own households; and that,
from the time when he leaves his cradle
and begins the struggle of life down to
the time when his weary gray head is
finally laid under the sod, he must be
guided, directed, instructed, restrained,
repreSsed, regulated, fenced in, fenced
out, braccl up, KEEP. down, and made to
do generally what somebody else thinks
is bcs, for him. The natural outcome of
this pa.e:nal theory of government is
the concentration Of all administrative
authority in the hands of a few high
officials, and IN enormous extension of
the police power. Matters that in
other countries are left to the
discretion Of the individual citizen,
or to the judgment of small group
of citizens, are regulated in
Russia by the Minister of the Interior
through the imperial police. If
you are a Russian. and wish to
establish a newspaper, you must ask the
permission of the Minister of the Int
Nor. If you wish to open Sunday
school, or any other sort of school,
whether in neglected SUM of S..
Petersburg or in a native village in
kamchatka, you must ask the permits
sion of the Minister of Public Instruc-
ton. II you wish TO give a concert or
to get up tablcaux for the benefit of an
orphan asylum, you must ask permission
OF the nearest representative of the
Minister of the Interior. then submit
your programme Of exercises to a censor
for approval or revision, AM finally
hand over the procec Is of the entertain
ment TO the police, to be cmbczzlcd or
gwen to the orphan asylum, as
1t may happen. If you wish
TO sell newspapers on the street, you
mus; get permission, be registered in the
books Of the police, and wear num-
bered brass plate as big as saucer
around your meek. If You wish to open
a drag sore, printing office, photo
graph gallery, or book store, you must
get permission. If you are photo
grapher and desire to change the loca-
ton of your pace of business, you music
get permission. If you are a student
and g 10 public library to- conSult
LyeIs ''PElnciplcs Of Geology. or Spenr
Ger Social Statici,' you viii fad that
you cannot even look at sue. dangerous
anu incendiary volumes, without special
permission. If you are a pie stefan, you
must get permission before You can prac-
'ce' anu then, if you do no. wish to re-
Spond to calls in the night, you must
nave permission to refuse to co.; fur
'neTnore If you wish to prescribe What
are known in Russia as t.power-
ia'.y acting mel'c.aes, You mist hsvc
Si'''a. PERMISSION, or the druggis. will
not dare to fill your p-escripsions. If ,
you are peasant and wish to build
O"'H- house on your prcmisc,,' you must +,
Se' permission. If you wish. to thresh ,
, your grain in the cvening-by candle
nSN'' You must get permission or bride ,
sne police. If YOU wisito go more than
n'.een miles away from your Home, YOU ;
T r'ust get permission. !. If yon are !.
.;'IiSA traveller you must get pe.mis-
u N 10 Como L.