The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-08-20

Inc position OF the press IN RUSSIA
with regard to the government, says
q correspondent of the Pail Mall Ga
sette, is not unlike the relations which
usually subsist between a very rich,
powerful, and purse-proud individual
and aNpoor and cringipg relation. II Is
more Immediately and truly at the
beck and call Of the government than
any other institution by means Of which
the government In Russia Is in the habit
of lording 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
probability, far surpasses in the depth,
breadth, and general scope of its bar
barity any similar species Of tyranny
of which the uniformed mind can con-
ceive. The censorship in Russia ex-
tends not only to the editing, and. on
occasion, to the composition, 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 or her
own language. Do you imagine that
In order to achieve his or her object the
Individual in question has merely to
send his or her advertisement to the
Office of the newspaper in which he or
she wishes the notice to appear? Not a
bit of it! No end of formalities and
petty vexatious regulations and restric-
lions must be met, and. IL possible.
overcome, by the advertising party be-
fore the innocent announcement can be
expected to appear. A visit to the po-
lice, with all its tedious formalities in
the shape of stampings, punchings. la
beings, -questionings, and irrele-
want notices and inquiries of all sorts,
Is not the least of the long list of vexa-
tons and indignities to which the as
pirant to publicity in the advertise
ments columns of an ordinary Russian
newspaper must be prepared dutifully,
patiently, and tamely to submit.
And even then, after he has, in his
own innocent estimation, safely and
satisfactorily negotiated all the OBJ
stacles placed in his way by the police,
the would-be 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 as frivo-
lous and vexatious as the arduous and
lengthy inquiry that he has, in pursuit
of his object, been called on to undergo,
What the effect of so ridiculous and
tyrannical a system Of censorship must
be upon the Golfers Of the newspapers
in Russia it would be as easy to de-
scribe as 1t 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 oquiva-
lent to that which great men are ac-
customed to bestow on harmless but
sometimes necessary dependents in
some despotic countries, and which
would be considered as fit treatment
for a lackey anywhere else. The Rus
sian journalist is treated with perfect
civilty 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 prudence and pro-
priety is to have his paper little less
severely edited by the all-powerful CEN
sors than those Of his fellow-journal-
lists who do not pursue so prudent and
polite a 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, remorsely and ruthlessly
ruled and edited, and Stunned even by
those whose acquaintance, though not,
perhaps, whose friendship. he has a
natural right to solicit, namely, his
brother journalists. The position Of the
Journalist in Russia, however, is. per-
haps. the best summarized and most
clearly exemplified in remark which
was made to me by gentleman-him-
self a Russian-soon after 1 first came
to Moscow.
We were lunching in one of the prin-
cipal hotels together, when an indi-
vidual passed our table whose appear
ance somewhat attract.d me. I accord
ingly asked my friend who he might
be, ooh. that" said he, SIS the editor
of -" naming a well-known Russian
Journal. "a very good fellow In his
way, / assure you, but he requires to
be kept in order" thereby implying, as
I learned subsequently, that 1t was not
the gentleman's private conduct and be-
havior that sometimes stood in need
of correction, but the effusions of his
pen which necessitated the delicate at
tentions Of the censor.
circumstance which perhaps more
than any other contributes to the low
esteem in which journalism and jour-
nalists are held in Russia is the true
Muscovite's little partially for reading.
AS a nation, Russia is the least "booky'
of great European countries. At st.
Petersburg, where the population Is
more or less cosmopolitan, this fact is
not noticeable in the same degree in
which 1t is at Moscow.
At the former city there are not