The morning call., 1895-01-06
SECRET POLICE OF RUSSIA.
How 1t Keeps an Eye on Every Man in the Empire.

New YORK. Jan. 1, 1S95.-The st. Pc
tel Sburg CORES ponden, of The London
Chronicle wired to his paper a few days
ago that Nicholas II intended to abolish
the secret police If the Gar carries out
what is thus proposed it will be long
step forward toward Russian personal lib
er "a much longer step than that which
Loris Melikof proposed in 1881 In the
shape of cOnstitutionalism, or that which
Iguatieff endeavored to Introduce. under
the name of parliamentary government,
at somewhat later Period.
OAe of the largest suites in the public
offices of st. Petersburg is occupied by the
Minister of Foreign Affairs. Almost inl-
mediately adjoining il are the departments
OF the Minister of the Interior. Between
the two suites are two small rooms-One an
inner room opening into the vestibnle. the
other looking out upon the Nevski Pros
pect. These two rooms are devoted TO the
use of the Chief of Police-"The White
Terror" as he is caled-and his personal
staff, consisting of a private and two min
isteral secretaries The position of his
offices, midway between foreign and DO
nestle affairs, indicates to some extent the
great prominence and importance OF the
position which the police occupy in the
Russian G vernment.
The police system of Russia may be
divided into three sections. The first Sec
ton consists of the ordinary "geDdarme-
rie" Che common metropolitan police OF
the cities, whose duties do not differ ma
,eraliy from those of our own municipal
police. The second sec ion consists OF the
rural police (the uriadniks. appointed by
the State, and the sotski and desiatski.
appointed by the peasants). The third
section consists of what are called the
political p lice Originally instituted by
the Car Nicholas to control corruption
among officials, but now vast organiza-
ton having its representatives in almost
every city of the world, aud with its spies
in every house. in every town. and almost
in every famliv)
There is no country in the world where
the Police play such an important part In
the everyday life of the richest and of the
mpanest, the nohlsman in his palace and
the moujik in his hnvel. They are the
omnipresent and omnipOtent regulat rs OF
all human co duct "a sort OF incompetent
bureaucr attic substitute for divine prOvi-
dence. The legislation relating to the
police fills more than 5000 sections IN the
Svnd Z,konof. or collection of Russian
VS..
The present Russian police force. with
the Minister of the Interior at its head,
controls by means of passports the move
meDts of all the inhabitants of the empire.
They keep thousands of suspects" con-
stantly under surveillance. They ascer-
tain and certify to the courts the liabilities
of bankrup's. They conduci pawn brok-
ers' sales of unredremed pledges. They
give certificates of identity to pensioners
and other persons that need them. They
superintend repairs of roads and bridges.
They exercise supervision over all theatre
cal performances, concerts, tableaux. thea
ter programmes, posters and street adver-
tisements. They collect statistics and en-
force sanitary regulations. make searches
and seizures in private houses, read the
CORES pondence of suspected persons. take
charge of the bodies of persons found dea
admUnsh church members who neglect