The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-12-09
NEWSPAPERS IN. RUSSIA.
History Of the Press Underthe Rule
Of the Cars.

Of the Cars.
There has never existed a political
press in the real acceptance of the term
In Russia. According to immemorial
tradition the government Of the car
only allows the publication Of news
which is in every respect agreeable to
its views and opinions. In certain spe-
cases Of great Importance, when it
is thought necessary either to excite
or calm public opinion, the Russian
government is a trile more lenient.
Thus, for instance, in 1872, during the
wars against Napoleon I, two newspa-
pers suddenly made their appearance,
which at once became the recognised
organs Of the Russian Chauvinist par
ty, the Russian Invalid, organ Of the
ministry Of war, and the Syn Oletches-
va. .
The first Russian newspaper dates
from the reign Of the Car Alexis Q645-
76). It was known under the name OF
Current News, and was only destined
for the immediate encourage of the en-
peror. The real founder Of the Russian
press was Peter the Great, who first
started the st. Petersburg Gazette, the
official organ of the Academy of Sci
ences, a complete collection of which
exists since 1714. After the first m
petus a number Of other periodicals,
were started SUCCESSFULLY. Among the
best known were the Monthly Writ
ings, in 1855, the Aurora in 1878, and
the Moscow Journal in 1871. These
publications were, however, almost en-
tirely literary in their character and
never ventured upon the dangerous
ground Of politics, unless by order Of
the government. During the reign of
Alexander I the Bee was first pub
lished. This sheet was by far the most
important and influential organ of RUS
sian public opinion during the first
quarter of the present century. Among.
it's most famous contributors were de
Gretch and Bourgarine, Pouchkine and,
Lerlnontol.
The censorship, in every form, has
always existed in Russia, but it was
never more powerfully organized than
under the reign Of Nicholas /. Every
newspaper, every pamphlet, every Rus
sian or foreign book, whether ancient.
or modern, was first subjected to the,
censorship. There vas even an upper
committee Of censors," specially charg-
ed with the supervision Of the corps of
censors. Later on, during the latter
part of Car Nicholas rs reign, special
censorships were established. Not only
were there ecclesiastical censors, mill
tary censors, but every government
department was invested with the pow,
er Of controlling every newspaper or
other printed article published which
in any way dealt with the department
in question.
The many difficulties which Russian
authors met in publishing their works
resulted in the novel plan Of collec-
tive publication in periodicals known
as ~"almanacks." 1t was in these al
mancks that first appeared the works
of the great national historian, Kram-
pine, Pouchkine, Lermontof, Polejaief,
Ryleef, Pogouine and others. These
publications had such a success that
they resulted in the starting of several
monthly magazines. It was then that
appeared The Muscovite, The Patriotic
Annals, to which Dostoiveska and
Herzen contributed. The various i'm
pediments placed in the way of the
Russian press were Of a lind to make
these monthly publications prosper
rather than the daily newspapers.
On the accession of Alexander II, all
the special jurisdiction mentioned above
was abolished. An imperial ukase
suppressing every exceptional law
against the press, exception being made
only for %offenses against religion. Or
binary censorship, such as the press
submits to in other countries, was es-
tablished instead. It was at this time
that Katkof and his friend, Prof. Leon
tief, founded at Moscow the Russian
Messenger, a large monthly review: The
tragic end Of Alexander IFS reign put
a sudden stop to the relative liberality
which has existed in the matter of the
press. The Polos. The Order, The Mos
COW Telegraph, and other organs of the
liberal party were suppressed. The
remaining organs Of the press became
mere echoes Of the autocratic regime
ln~augurated by Alexander III.
Until the time of Katkof's death. i'm
1883, The Moscow Gazette continued to
be the most influential daily organ in
the empire. The principal existing daily
papers in the empire at present are
The Novoe Vremia (The New Times), a
newspaper having no political opinion.