The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1890-07-12
JOURNALISM IN GERMANY.
Some of the Things Which Mako 1t HUI
morous for Outsiders.

morous for Outsiders.
An amusing side of journalism in Ger.
many comes to light when newspaper
is confiscated by the Government for po-
litical reasons, says the New York Sun.
That is, it is amusing to people who
have seen the way the thing is done
the owners or publishers of the confis-
Gated paper don't look at the funny
side Of it. The first copy of every news
paper must be sent to the 'Staats An
walt" or public prosecutor, who is the
censor of the press. Herr Stats Await
with the press laws before him, careful
ly reads the paper while he sips his
mug Of beer. His eye suddenly lights
on passage which criticises adversely
an action or remark Of the Emperor. He
reads it through, and rereads it, and be-
gins to get mad.
"Donnerwetter noch Elm NAL" he saws.
THAT must be stopped"
He hurriedly draws blue-pencil line
around the paragraph and steps up to
his telephone. He asks central to con-
meet him with the chief of police. When
this functionary is at the other end of
the phone, Mr.. Stats Anwalt orders
him to send squad of police to
the printer of the paper, forbid
its further publication, and seize all
the copies thereof he can lay his hands
on The chief answers ''Jawohl," and
repeats the order to his assistant. The
assistant turns to his "sub" and trans
mlts 1T to him, who in turn tells his
sub" what is wanted, and finally, after
long delay, several policemen start for
the officer OF the paper in hired fiacre.
In Germany, when the police are en-
gagged in any special work, they do not
ride in ordinary street-cars, nor do they
walk, but they must hire a fiacre or a
coach. This adds secrecy and dignity to
the affair. When the policemen enter
the publication Office they intimidate
the frightened foreman into handing
over all the copies he has in the place.
These are taken downstairs and thrown
into the fiacre. If there are very many
OF them, another fiacre is called. The
printers must take the Objectionable
matter from the forms, and the police
make "pi' of it,,
Usually these officers bear warrant
for the arrest of the editor. The Ger
man editor has been there before, how
ever, and on the editorial page of most
papers, right under the terms to SUBJ
scribers, he keeps name, say Johann
Schmidt, responsible editor" And when
there is any arresting to be done the po-
lice must wreak their vengeance on
Herr Schmidt, who in most cases is some
petty writer on the paper. When he is
IN jail for writing something which he
didn't write the paper pays him good
salary and looks after his family. The
liberal newspapers and sociaiistic pub
hcations always keep couple of respon-
sible editors on tap, and when number
one is in the lookup the name of number
Wo takes his place in the paper until,
through some trouble with the police,
number three begins his inning. This
1unctionary is called a sitz redakteur, or
seat editor. The seat refers to his So
lourn in dungeon. The penalty of the
law Increases with each offense, and
AFTER the unfortunate editor has sat sew
oial tlmes new one Is appointed, who
s'arts In with the mildest punishment
lor the first offense.
Inc real editor usually gets wind Of
'ne intended visit of the police and Sc
Gretes Irt several copies of the publication.
"neh they arrive, and he has read their
ietter OF authority, he hands over the
res' OF the papers, which join their COM
pahlons in the fiacre. The officers read
aim the warrant for his arrest. When
hey finish the editor says:
wen, meine Herren, 1 am only a
saiarled writer here. There stands the
responsible editor"
me police scowl at the speaker and
march of the responsible editor. 1t
~equently happens that the newspaper
aas already been sent out and distrib-
a'eo throughout the city, in which case
me police must travel around and get
nolu OF all the copies they can. They
usit every reading room and cafe in the
wy and cut the obnoxious paragraph
vu1 W. from the paper on the files. In
VIENNA there are seven hundred cafes,
ana one can imagine what a job it is
W visit each one and look for the un-
'ortunate newspaper
while the police are going the rounds
VI the city tho editor is preparing a
second edition emitting the article
winch provoked the wrath of the Stats
Anwalt. In the center of the space this
VWlSSiOn naturally croa tas tho word