The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-20
ATTORNEY DARROW'S
( \ :. :. NEWEST BOOK

RESIST NOT EVIL. BY Clarence s.
Darrow. Published by Charles Ii. Kerr
& Co., Chicago. Price IS cents.
This is a neatly bound volume of 176
pages. exceptionally free from typo
graphical errors and mechanically well
executed. The author is by this time
we'll known in our city. and those who
have had the pleasure of hearing him
lecture feel that he Is man of deep
reflection and great sympathy. The
best key to an understanding of this
volume is intimacy with the PERSONAL
ity of the author. Clarence s. Darrow
IS an interesting person and comes as
near realizing the philosophy and
teaching of the gospel of non-resist-
ance as any man we have ever known.
Mr.. Darrow Is q student, an admirer
and an interpreter of Tolstoi. One of
his many interesting lectures is on the
eminent Russian author and philoso-
pher, with whose works he Is perfectly
familiar. This volume Is one of the
results OF that study and the author
confesses that it was inspired by the
writings OF Tolstoi, 1.-The first author
who ever seemed to place the doctrine
of non-resistance upon a substantial
basis"
Upon the philosophy of the great
Russian Count, then, our author con-
structs his argument which, in sixteen
brief chapters, defends the doctrine Of
nun-resistance. The style is lucid, cpl
gramatic and at times eloquent. 1t Is
a severe arraignment of our civiliza-
ton, which the author believes is based
on barbaric force, but the chief pur-
pose of the work is to show the mis-
taken treatment Of crime and crimln-
ais, as practiced by modern society.
The first four chapters deal with the
state and the means at it's command
to enforce it's DEGREES. These, our
author denominates the productions of
brute force. "The state was born in ag-
gression, and the rulers of ancient am
modern times acquire their right by
force and cunning and intrigue"
Every government has used it's power
to divide the earth amongst favored
few and by force and violence to keep
the toling, patient suffering millions
from any portion of the common boun-
ties of the world. Armies and navies
are organized either to keep in Subjec-
ton the people Of the land or war
against foreign foes. In both cases it
IS the exhibition of brute force and en-
genders hatred, malice and passion in
the souls of men. The result is the de-
struction of the body, the death of the
soul, and the sovereignty Of the ruling
class at whose command the military
forces are. Against this the author
protests vehenently by stating that
''no nation can be really great that is
1,.lJ h1yC
true loyalty ca: be induced and kept
through fear"
Civil government is placed by the
author in the same category as mill
tary power. 1t rests on violence and
cunning. He sees interviewer in all
our social fabric the idea of punish
ment, of force. of violence, and is
astonished to find that hardly any one
sees that mature. unaided by mems
laws, can evolve social order, or that
community might live in measurable
peace and security, moved only by the
natural instincts which form the basis
and render forcible communal life.
His conclusion is that those who vio-
late the laws of communal life will die
or leave no descendants or weak off
spring to be the last survivors Of their
line"
The remaining twelve chapters deal
with crime, criminals, the mode OF
punishment and the right way to treat
this anti-social class. Mr. Darrow
gives us here the result of his observa-
tion and reflection and the reader will
find in this section of the work many
rich thoughts upon one of the most
veXed questions of our civilization.
Crime, according to our author, is
relative term and changes with the
age. What In one age is commendable
in another is criminal and what is
wrong to one class may be performed
by another with impun1ty. For this
reason it is impossible to be sure about
the commission of the act, and never
possible to fix the moral responsibility
Of the person charged with crime
The criminal is the creation OF
"heredity and environment and Mr..
Darrow severely criticises his own pro-
'iession for its prejudices and futile
work in summarily condemning the
criminal without seeking out the
causes of crime and tracing them to
their sources. He has evidently read
specialists on criminology and is faml-
Will VIC iiuIludtlpIiS lN Siiiic iS-
,ording to the economic condition Of
the people. He believes that the Grim.
Jnal belongs mentally and physically
to an inferior type and that certain
sections of the world are indigenous to
men who kill their fellows" But not
withstanding this the author believes
that "if work We're sufficiently plenty
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