Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-05-24

England or the United States. where
the people are the governing power,
the functions OF the police are simple
and clearly defined. and are limited.
for the most part, TO the prevention or
the detection OF crime. and the main
tenance OF order in public places. In
Russia, however, where the people are
not the governing power. but hold to
that power the relation OF an infant
ward To guardian. the police occupy
very different and much more impor-
tant position.
THE theory upon which the Govern
ment of Russia proceeds is, that the
citizen not only is incapable OF taking
part in the management of the affairs
OF his country, his province, or his dis
trict, but is incompetent To manage
even the affairs OF his own household;
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 instruct
ed restrained, depressed. regulated,
fenced in, fenced out. braced up, kept
down, and made to do generally what
somebody else thinks is best for him.
The natural outcome of this paternal
the DRY OF government is the concentra-
ton OF all administrative authority in
the hands of few high officials. and
an enormous extension OF the police
power. Matters that in other coun-
tries are left To the discretion OF the
individual citizen, or to the judgment
OF a small group os citizens, are regu-
lated in Russia by .ne minister OF the
Interior through the imperial police.
IL you are Russian, and wish To es-
tablish "A newspaper, you must ask the
permission of the minister OF the Inte-
rior II you wish to open "A Sunday
school, or any other sort OF school,
whether In a neglected slum OF St
Petersburg or in "A native village in
Kamchatka, You must ask the permits
sion OF the minister OF public instruc-
ton. If you wish TO give concert or
to get up tableauX for the benefit OF an
orphan asylum, you must ask permits
sion of the nearest representative Of
the minister of the Interior, then sub
NIT your programme OF exercises to a
censor for approval or revision, and
finally hand over the proceeds OF the
entertainment TO the police, TO be en-
bezzled or given to the orphan asylum,
as it may happen. If you wish to sell
newspapers on the street, you must
get permission, be registered in the
books OF the police, and wear num-
bered brass plate as big as a saucer
around your neck. II you wish to open
a drugstore, printing office,
photograph-gallery, or book
store, you must get permits
sion. II you are a photographer
and desire TO change the location of
your place of business. you must get
permission. If you are student and
go TO a public library TO consult Lyel's
principles of Geology or Spencer's
Social States you will find that you
cannot even look at such dangerous
and incendiary volumes without special
permission. If you are IL physician,
you must get permission before you
can practice. and then, il you do not
wish to respond TO calls in the nigat.
you must have permission TO refuse to
go; furthermore If you wish to pre-
scribe what are known in Russia as
powerfully acting medicines, you
must have special permission. or the
druggist will not dare to fill your pre-
scriptions. Ii you are a peasant and
wish to build a bath-house on Your
premises. YOU must get permission. II
you wish TO thresh out your grain in
the evening By candle-light, you must
get permission or bride the police. III
you wish to go more than fifteen miles
away from your home, you must get
permission. II you are foreign
traveller you must get permission to
come into the Empire, permission to
go out of it. permission TO stay in it
longer than six months. and must mott
fy the police every time you change
your boardjng-place. In short, you
cannot live. move or have your being
in the Russian Empire. without per-
mission.