The Portland daily press., 1896-07-24
EDITORS WHO ARE SLAVES,
In Russia journalism is Most
Wretched Profession.

Almost Impossible to Buy One
The position of the press in Russia with
regard to the Government, says CORES
pondent of The Pail Mall Gazette, is not
unlike the relations which usually sub
sist between very rich, powerful, and
purseproud individual and poor and
cringing relation. 1t is more Immediate
ly and truly at the beck and call of the
Government than any other institution
by means of which the Governments in
Russia is in the habit of lordino it over
the people.
The rigor of the censorship is an OLD,
familiar cry. even to those who know not
Russia and have had no experience of
her ways. But the reality, in all prob
ability, far surpasses in the depth.
breadth. and general scope of it's barbar-
ity any similar species of tyranny of which
the uniformed mind can conceive. The
censorship in Russia extends not only to
the editing, and, on occasion, to the oom-
position. of editorial matter, but even to
the advertisements themselves.
For instance, take the commonplace
case OF person, foreigner in Russia,
wishing to give lessons in his OF her own
language. Do you imagine that in order
to achieve his or her object the individ-
ual in question has merely to send his Or
her Rdvertisem to the office of the
newspaper in which he or she wishes the
notice to appearp Not bit of It'll No
end of formaliuies and petty vexaticus
regulations and restrictions must be
met. and, if possible, overcome, by the
advertising party before the innocent
announcement can be expected to appear.
A visit to the police, with all its tedious
formalities in the shape of stampings,
punohings. labelings. ss-questionings,
and irrelevant notices and inquiries Of all
sorts, IL not the least of tho long list of
vexations and indignities to which the
aspirant to publicity in the advertisement
columns of an ordinary Russian news
paper must be prepared dutifully, pa
tiently, and tamely to submit.
And even then, after he has, in his
own innocent estimation, safely and sat-
isfaotorily negoti ated all the obstacles
placed in his way by the police, the
would-bs advertiser may yet find that he
is destined to be disappointed, and on
grounds, as often as not, which cannot
but seem to him quite az frivolous and
yexaticus as the arduous and lengthy in
CURRY that he has, In pursuit Of his object
been called on to undergo.
What the effect of so ridiculous and
tyrannical system of censorship must be
ryr fha 1rfT ~ rho 5x~
Russia il would be as easy to describe as
it assuredly is to imagine. The poverty
of the Russian journals. owned and
financed though they are, for the most
part, by Jews, is notorious.
The social position of the Russian
journalist, broadly speaking, is equiya-
lent to that which great men are accus
times necessary dependents in some des-
potic countries and which would be con-
sidered as flt treatment for laokey any
where else. The Russian jour nalist ia
treated with perfeot civility SO long as he
behaves himself; but he is not tolerated
in society. The most he can hope for if
he conducts himself with perfect prud-
ence and propriety is to have his paper
little less severely edited by the all-pow-
erful sensors than those of his fellow
journalists who do not pursue so prudent
and polite course, and, occasionally.
to rub shoulders with some one about
Court.
The reverse of the medal shows the
Russian journalist under the thumb of
the censor, remorselessly and ruthlessly
ruled and edited, and Stunned even by
those those acquaintance. though not,
perhaps, whose friendship, he has O
natural right to solicit, namely, his
brother journalists. The position of the
Journalist in Russia, however,.is. per-
haps, best summarized and most clearly
exempliied in remark which was made
to me by geptleman-himsef a Russian
soon after I first came to Moscow.
We were lunching in one of the princi-
pal he5els together, when an individual
passed cur table whose appearance some
what attracted me. I accordingly asked
my friend who he might be. ooh, that"
said be- sis the editor Of" naming a
well kown Russian journal "a very
good fellow in his way, assure you, but
he req uires to be keps in order" thereby
implying, as l learned subsequently, that
it was not the gentleman's private oon-
duct and behavior that sometimes stood
in need of correction, bu t the illusions
of his pen which pecessitased the delicate
attentions Of the CENSOR.
A oircumstanc which perhaps more
than any other contributes to the low es-
TEEN in which journalism and journalists
are held in Russia is the true Muscovites
little Partially for reading. AS n nation
Russia is the least ''bo0ky' Of great
European countries. At St. Petersburg.
where the population is more or less cos
mopolitap, this fact 10 not noticeable In
the same degree in which it is at Moscow.
At the former city there are not want
ing signs and tokens pointing to the ex-
istence of no small amount of literary
activity. The journals Of ST. Petersburg,
though vastly out Of proportion IN re-
spect of number, influence, wealth, and
intelligence to the population of so great
and important city, yet do their best,
under the highly discouraging circum-
stances in which they are situated, to
maintain European standard of
thought and expression. Tn Moscow,
however, which is Russia proper, very
different state of affairs prevails. There
literary activity can scarcely be said to
exist at all, or, if it be gallowed to exist,
the degree and the amount are 80 small
as cannot but nightly dismay and dis
those who Rood-naturedly start
out with the intention Of taking it into
serious account.
At ST. Petersburg 1t is possible, with an
infinite deal Of searching ana vancouver
ing, to purchase journal in tbs streets.
Y e