The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-08-19
Fear and Disgust
of Books in Russia

A favorable sign Of the times IN Russin
IL she IA icar,ucc OF ~ new edition ot
the famous novel. Whats to he poncG'
written half a century ago 10y ictrrnlsh.
cyslSy, the radical .pubicist critic and
rcrurncr The BOOK was forbidden al
most ns soon AS IL had seen the light,
ON account of It's hetcrodox tendencies.
In spite of being suppressed It iourh It's
way into two English Transitions. Now
Il il republished without objection from
the censor.
This fact In connection with other
symptoms, and especially with the trend
OF the testimony and proposals submitted
to the kobcko commission ON the press
laws aud the desirable amendments Of the
as an Indication OF "a real and healthy
change ui governmental policy Win re-
gard to books ana periodical literature.
Including the daily press. writers have
had "A good deal 10 say lately about the
"distrust Of books In Russia, the sur-
picion and presumption OF injury
and mischief with which the government
has viewed the product OF the national
Intelligence plus the printing press \
writer In the 81. Petersburg Novnsti, IN
urging trust In books gives the fol-
lowing facts;
Books, like newspapers. are divided
into two classes: those that may be pub.
llshcd without preliminary censorship,
and those that must be submitted IA adj
vance. In manuscript To the local censor
Even the first class IN In reality subject
10 censorship. for several copies OF each
printed book must be handed 20 the CEN
sor before any are placed on the market.
Whatever book he finds objectionable,
politically or morally. he may declare
| Illegal. coniiscating or burning the whole
| edition. In the last forty years some CEN
| sora, by keeping single copies of prohib-
| tied books for strictly private use. have
accumulated libraries OF the greatest
| value and intellectual interest to educated
| Russia, and some OF these rare volumeD
command. at private sales high premi-
umS.
Instead OF one censor, the writer and
publisher have 10 reckon with no fewer
| than eight different censOrs representing
as many official departments. Thus there
/ are eight gantletH TO run, seven tests 70
| undergo and each censor II "a law unto
himself. following his own notions. whiins
and prejudices.
''Finally. when book at last obtains
| the requisite authorizations ana reaches
| the public II encounters another array
| OF difficulties Libraries are not permitted
| to purchase aud calculate even the cen
sor-ridden hooks Many, IN fact are -
| prcHsy prohibited TO the libraries, the
| idea being that what may be safe In the
| small circles of the well-to-do Intelligent
may be dangerous In the handH OF the
people
| "Hence those who cannot buy books.
| or borrow them. are deprived OF the priv
| ilege OF reading some OF the best niin
most progressive and stimulating produc-
| Russian classics are excluded from the
| libraries. 49,. -.
| pers that the publishers have all demand
| I'D the complete abolition OF tine book
| censorship and full liberty 10 Issue any
| hook they see ~. subject 20 prosecution
! In court under general laws safeguarulnk
| public morality. order etc. The commits
| sion proposed compromise as fohowr.
| That ali books should be pissed upon
| H. Inc ministry OF foreign affairs ana
| such as are found politically Injurious
| or revolutionary should be turned o'er
| for examination and judgment TO tho
| National Academy of Science. "A body OF
| when almost every distinguished author
! IL a member The academy, however,
! promptly declined this function, de-
| clared that Il could not undertake 20 APP
/ piy Official, political, governmental or
| other non literary ana non-scientlhc ana
| non-artistic standards 90 literature, "
| did moi care TO exercise police functions
| nnd become a governmental agency
! '"rhe commission n expected 70 recon-
| mend liberal changes In the laws az 70
! the press and remove the stigma OF tne
| dietrust Of books. lfuhHlati"h """"
| FOR the Literary Digest