Newspapers are not popular with the Sultan's Government.

They do not understand journalism.
The proverb says, "The unknown is always great." To the court, the newspaper is a mysterious and rascally institution.

They know what a pestilence is, because they have one occasionally that thins the people out at the rate of two thousand a day, and they regard a newspaper as a mild form of pestilence.

When it goes astray, they suppress it--pounce upon it without warning, and throttle it.

When it don't go astray for a long time, they get suspicious and throttle it anyhow, because they think it is hatching deviltry.