The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-27
JOUgNALIsM ~ RUSSIA.
Trouble of the Editors i'm the Land OF
the tIar.

where the opinions OF the newspdp,.
\ are the last things the people Woulu
have restricted. to imagine Euro,
pean press conducted and confronted
by Government. Here It IL open 10
any one 10 publish newspaper. IN nus,
STA permission must be nrst opldlhe., ~
this is not granted 10 all VINO care 10 az
plv. The candidate for this privilege must
first curry favor with the HoNernmeh,-
that is e say. with the Minister Oh tn'
Interior and other officials anu IN Voun-
try places especially, with the Governor
of the province or with the boFcIhot-
GenelaL where such an oNlsiai nous
sway Then he must possess ms sout III
patience Sometimes three Tour, CT hhoIv
tears may pass away before the right
TO start any new perlOulcal Il 'tN 's.tD,"'
and even then the publisher cannot u1nS,
fer his rights TO another WITHOUT oHNi'i
permissfOn Thus the publication oecoihvS
= .neeial privilege. and the monopoly Il
~ some value I'm 81. petersburg ana MOS
cow for In those oitles IN. puu,it ,lo, , ti'
TO deposit a guarantee OF 49, - 49,.
(about G5W This deposit Is required lot
"a ,.eiInerior" privilege which the press IN
the capitals enjoys over ana anoNe thae o'
the provincial press ms prNlitsg, now
ever. does not amount 20 Huoh; -" ,SS,
indeed. be likeued 10 the rght oil mo
Turkish paSha TO be- hanged oy n. Shhth
cord instead of a hcmpen rope IN INC
provinces tho editor IS obliged 10 SUNNI
the manuscripts TO the censor b.toie 'mes
can be printed. In the capitals tne news
raper must be submitted in print FORM not
later than IL r. NJ. on the day before us
appearance. Thus Russian DANES ar un
able 10 publish teleCrams and news whlch
arrive too late 10 DO set up 10y tue Hout
named.
LIST OF CANDIDATES.
But obtaining permission to estaplish
a newspaper Is only the nfst slep WIZ
the proprietor has 70 take. Inc p'llV"i
cal must have an editor, ana III l,Hp'Ne
OF this functiOnary a further permission
Is required. IL has 0ccuiied ever an
over again that a whole list OF ciiiW-
dates for an edit0rship has iaied 10 re-
ceive official sanction, ana lnlS , a.,
need not necessarily be accompanied Ny
any explanation. one need not, thcicloIN,
be- surprised that many EDITORS sc'Nc ~
other function than to lena tH'i "ui t
with the object OF satisfying thc 9it,i"'sn.
Even after the permission To- pupilsn ~
granted, and the editor oinclthl sail'''1 ~,
ed the real troubles only thth nt5in, ~
everybody ana on All hands inc l,lvt ii'Nt,o'
paper is bullied and harassed. certainly,
IL dare not offend any othcial litn ,iio
highest 10 the lowest. few months aso'
says the London Mall tl'tc was 49,
lishod i'm tho official Iurkcstanskya N,uo,
mosti docum MT which, had II appSs'aeu
IN any English paper would pass loi ia, "a
huge Joke. 10 was copy 81 COMPANY
made by an OfiCia. 20 ms chlel 10 VIC -.
feet that an editor had dared 10 pilte az
article "On the possibility OF cNt, fhllh1t-
Ing black beetles IN the city, Inc COM
paint read as follows.
"As there appeared IN the local paper
an article about tho eNtermnauoh Oh
| black beetles IN the city, which mus I'M
| plies the possibility ot improvements IN
! tho district intrusted TO me, ana rs th'rf-
! by prejudiCed 10 my authority IN lhe eyes
of the inhabitants, / regard II adfl7a le
10 order that any article concerning my
/ district shall first Dee sent 10 me TOT tA-
| animation and correction.
I'm so humlllatug "a position as thar OK
omplihod by this complaint there Is surely
I ..a }. ina
ing even Turkey. The metropolitan press,
| however, IS less subject 10 Official ~
! rtnny.
SECRET CIRCULARS ISSUED.
| According 70 law the minister Is allow
/ cd 10 issue such secret circulars only upon
matters of great State Importance, uut
! IN practice anything which may oiicna
! the dignity OF the Minister or ms frlenus
| may be pronounced 10 be OF great
/ state importance An incident in the
private lite of man who lost a large
/ sum at card playing, Win a nlsny ~
! allied parsonage, "a railway ea,h2,ioput,'
! % quarrel az a meeting OF the nohnlty' tle
! fraud Of "a banker, have all proved 10 DE
| matters If great State Importance, the
/ public discussion OF which has been pre-
! vented. a candidate for the Mayoraltyi
/ who was afraid OF criticism In the press,
! once obtained an order from the Minister
! of the Interior which had the erect or
! preventing the appearance or any artcie
/ whatever about the election directors OF
/ Joint stock companies VINO nave ruined
! their shareholders have succeeded lu OBJ
| tanning orders 90 guarantee them eNtnp-
ton from public discussion III matters
/ pertaining 10 their companies WINE dl
! the same time they have been allowed 10
/ continue the publication or ADVERTISE
monts. recilims. and balance sheets IN
| tended 10 delude the public. All the cir
/ culars sent out cannot here be rtcountcd,
/ they are only sent 10 the editors 10 uc
/ read. ana then have 10 be returned but
/ these orders. never being revoked, tuey
ID "a. I'D
/ unfortunate editor. losing his way in the
/ labyrinth OF prohibitions, leads ~ NE OF
| constant anxiety and danger. IL is FOR
! tUuate. however, that very evil contains
| its own remedy. The Minister'S Office IS
! not of long duration; one goes and au-
/ other comes. and with each change comes
| an alteration OF policy. The unailowipie
! of Yesterday becomes the allow able OF to-
J day. the unpr0hiDitcd of yesterday bee
| comes The prohibited of to-day. So that
! the editor, however suDservient Dee may
/ De, must, sooner or LATER, come INTO CON
nict with the authorities.
PUNISHMENT OF THE GUILTY.
The nature and extent OF the punish
/ mout inflicted On au editor depends upon
! the state OF the liver II the Minister or
! the Interior, or those OF "a committee or
! four ministers. The offence D. beyond the
/ jurisdiction OF tine courts of justice The
| editor Of the guilty periodical is not
/ even summoned for defence on eNpltnd-
| ton OF hls wicked conduct Tho chafac-
| Ter Oh tue ItIlri4lN'It ~ fillPle 'plif't va
| 90 him through ID messenger. The minis
/ ttrial order is published ia all the pa
| pers with the view OF stamping a deter
rent influence upon the offender 5 profess
| siOual brethren iu particular, and the pub
! lie in general. Sometimes the cause OK
| the punishment accompanies the minis
| ter's order. but in the majority OF cases
| 40 explanation whatever ls oHeied ne
! punishment TOR overstepping the restrlc-
! lions OF the press are sometimes very Sc
| we're. They include Punishment and long
/ periods of imprisonment and penal sciFl-
/ tude iu the mines of eastern SIBERIA but
/ iu general Russian editors ore so loyal
! and law abiding that no case Is made out
! for the innlctOu OF the last mentioned
! penalty. Lighter punishmcuts as "a RUE,
! prevail. Usually Russian editors sin only
| action OF a fine is deemed sufficient pun
| ishment The periodical, however DIS gem
! orally placed under some disability, GRIP
! Piled either permanently or temporarily.
/ Ia may be- sfCTIed forever, or only Tor
/ time or may bee deprived Of the prlti-
legc of publishing advertisements. or the
| right # selling single copies instead OF
| simply Dee served with a warning, which
| implies that upon second offence tn"
| paper must prepare TO draw It's last
| breath. All these penalties are wholly
| dependent upon tho will OF the Minister
! OF tho Interior who thus has 10 ln his
| power 10 ruin any paper or periodical he
/ may dislike During the reign OF AleAtn-
! der III. many papers Were prohibited
| among which may bee named the iOlJr,
which was worth about 100000 rublcs. I'm
the short reign of the present car the
! very excellent ST. Petersburg daily tho
| "Russkaya Zhiru." has been suspended
| and ruined. and only few years ago the