The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-01
Newspaper
@ensorship

According to late reports. the official
censors at Madrid and Havana are now
carefully revising all telcgraphlc mes
sages sent from those points to newspa-
pers in the United States. Spain is not
the only country in which newspaper cen
sorship exists. as Mexico yet retains that
despicable system. When I'm Mexico some
years ago IL was my good fortune to OBJ
serve the workings of the censor system,
as applied to the public press.
About II years ago Don Refugio Bernar-
do. a pompous and wealthy Mexican gen
tlcman. ardently desired a federal office.
and made life a burden to the president
and the entire cabinet by his persistent
solicitation for federal pie" In order TO
get rid of this persistent of1ce-seeker the
minister of the interior appointed him Of
fetal censor of the City Of Mexico. Don
Refugio Bernardo promptly accepted the
Office, rented a room In the federal build
ing. bought a blue pencil' and was duly
prepared to revise all copy intended for
publication by the public press of the
city.
At first his task was a light one. as the
city papers generally contained nothing
but prosy descriptions of bull fights. UNI
interesting snake stories. poetry and an
tiuuated fashion notes. Then n presiden-
tial campaign was inaugurated: the pa
pers woke up, and so did the censor. and
the papers were filled with bitter parti-
! sanship. libelous attacks and Incorporate.
foul and abusive language. Chief among
these journalistic offenders was "El Sig
lao" a religious publication published UNI
der the auspices of "A religious organiza-
ton and ostensibly edited by a bishop
During the presidential campaign III Sig
10 broke loose from its religious moorings.
joined hands with the secular press and
became a leader in the mud-throwing
carnival; and I'm advocating its political
opinion. became so partisan in tone and
so gross i'm language that ladies refused
to read IL. In fact. during this political
campaign the newspapers or the city be-
came 50 partisan, libelous and foul that
! se|if-respecting people only READ al
MANAGES and "bills of fare"
The official censor, In order To preserve
reading people from the communicating
influences of ''disreputable journalism.
issued an order requiring all copy Intend
ed for the daily and weekly newspapers.
religious or secular. published in the city.
to be submitted to him for censorship.
The papers complied with this order and
all their copy was sent to the censor's Of
flee for revision
Don Refugio Bernardo was a very con-
scientious official. though AN uneducated
man. and In his system of revising copy"
he departed widely from that usually fol-
lowed i'm well regulated proof rooms. All
articles of doubtful character. Of a H.
belous nature. he marked kill II an
article contained a foreign phrase which
he did not know the meaning of. and all
words exceeding three syllables. the CEN
sor would strike out (but no words would
be supplied to fiji these yacancies.b After
the censor had thus officially edited "a
bunch of copy" IL would be marked "ap-
proved" and sent back To the newspaper
offices. The newspapers then printed this
''copy" as revised, not daring TO make
any new changes.
AS a result Of the official censor's pains
taking work. the printed leaders I'm the
newspapers were devoid OF all vitupera-
tive. foul or libelous language. In truth
these leaders were perfectly innocuous,
though badly disconnected and puzzling 10
understand: as in his zeal to eliminate
an objectionable word or phrase the
censor frequently struck OUT harmless
but vital words. whose only crime was
that they exceeded his standard Of
length-three syllsbies.
Occasionally the official censor. being
swamped with copy for revision -
would call to his assistance the Mexican
ianitor. and these two literary prodigies
would "collaborate." as 1t were. The jan
itor's education had been acquired from
reading street signs when sent on err
rands: but when acting as assistant
censor he showed profound Judgment.
When he met words ne did not know
the meaning Of land they numbered sew
eral thousand he let them remain when
he met with q foreign phrase he simply
Z wrote. 'Set inns IN spanish. Inc dSSlrA-
ant censor. not half knowing his native
tongue. had a supreme contempt for all
other languages. living or dead.
For several weeks this rigid censorship
of the press was kept up. and as a result
city newspapers were free from libelous
articles. foreign phrases and polysylla-
bic words. though sadly lacking IN
sprightliness. and were dun and uninter
esting reading.
Some newspapers. TO evsde censorship
began To Issue from job offices gutter
snipes." filed with libelous articles. while
at the same time the regular issues OF
their papers (which were subject TO cen
sorshipD were pinks of propriety. II an
peared 10 me that the vagrant gutter
snipes." which were slyly vended had q
larger sale and were more eagerly read
than the regular papers.
The official censor then issued anothel
order. requiring the job Offices To submit
for his inspection all the copy" of al
printing done I'm their establishments. Th'
Job offices complied with the order. sub
United their copy, and as a result the OF
fetal censor was swamped with work
Being a conscientious official. the censol
deliberately scrutinized every bit of cop!
sent in from the job offices. from a wed
ding card 10 a three-sheet poster. Tit
ianitor was promoted To the position o
assistant official censor and from
thence on no vulgar. libelous or long
legged word escaped those Argus-eye'
cenSorS.
A morning paper published in the cit,
! had the pernicious habit Of sendinl
= copy TO the censor's Office AT the un
, earthly hour Of 10 y. m. and insistini
4 that the censor should revise this copy ;
: IL could bc printed in the morning edi
=. ton.
The censor then issued an order that Al
copy for morning papers should he sent [
the eensor's Office by . D. m. dhe ni=h
previous to publicstionb Promptly at . !
| m. the censor locked his ONCE and de
; parted for his home in the suburbs o
, the city.
> The editor Of the morning paper. afte
!, preparing a bunch of copy would go Z
the residence Of the censor. wake NJ tina
eficial from his slumber. and insist tina