The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
SPECIAL Correspondence to rur sux

s'is AEtNhA Tt T'bdtlN lU'
most instructive. and certainly the mos,
interesting. OF contemporary experiments
in the art Of turning political machinery
backward IL TO be seen to-day in the
muzzing Of the Russian press.
When the cars manifesto ~ eight
years ago. promising the Introduction o;
elementary freedom into Russian l.fc. was
issued, II was tn, press that was the
ftrst to feel ana To- make use Of the new
benefits II is true that one new spaper
the Rouss. was promptly suppressed for
three months fur saying tina; this very
manifesto should make the bones OF
plehve turn in his grave"
The drastic official who ordered thl,
suppression Justified himself 10y sayin9
that the newspaper had accused the autoc-
rncy Of being Inconsistent with its own
past. But his mode of reasoning was out
OF fashion In those days his office was
closed and there cnsu,d period OF con
siderable latitude for tn. newspapers
Here and there IN the provinces a Gov.
ernor who stood for the bureaucracy
against any democratic invasion would
fine or confiscatc a local paper for print
ing something that had been allowed tt
appear IN some Journal Of ST PetcrsburI
or Moscow.
All Other Promises Broken.
Freedom of the press was one of a lis,
OF specific liberties promised in the Gear
manifesto There Was to be liberty of
conscience ,meaning that any person
might hold To any religion which his con.
science dictated to him) and liberty OF
combination Cmcan!ng that people hold.
ing similar political opinions might com.
bine to form party organizatlom and
liberty of speech (meaning the right &c
hold pOlifiCal IA. 20,
personal discussion OF Government pro.
ceedings).
1t was only the liberty OF the press thai
had any real lease of life at all. Tn.
other promises have never been even be.
gun to be fulfilled. Every law In Russia
which applies ostensibly to the whole EN-
plre Is issued subject 10 the regulations
IN force This saving clause Is the shee
anchor of the police bureaucracy II is a
temporary regulation In force" of 1881
which still permits the police to enter Il
mans nous and arrest him without war,
rant and Danish him without trial. Under
the imperial code of laws this same mar
should be entitled TO a trial under SLOW
and complicate procedure, but vet "A trial
However, the permanent system which
promises trial II permanently subordi
mated to the temporary regulation which
refuses a trial And so II IL with tn.
theory of freedom OF conscience, of spec oh
and OF combination.
The press, from the nature of its or.
ganization. was able to avail itself of tho
right of free utterance without waiting fol-
any new law on the subject The name
or the Car and of his family relations
had still to be treated as sacrosanct ant
no kind OF criticism whatever was per.
m!tted on their personal or political acts
hut the departments of the Government
and the executive officers were subjected
to criticism that was fairly outspoksn
During the five years that Stolypin wa,
at the head of the Government the news
papers were allowed to say pretty much
what they liked about him. The hang
mans rope was called "Stolypins neck.
tie" and that was allowed to go the rounds
of the press, In his campaign against
bribetaking bureaucrats and contractor,
who cheated the Government on their con.
tracts tho press was left quite unmuzzled
But as fear OF the revolution abated ant
the rcactionary bureaucracy mustered VI
enough courage to make "A fight for gettinl
back to the old conditions the first targe
OF their attack was the press.
The speeches of members Of the Duma
had been until this past year absolutely