The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-12-02
LAST WORD FROM
T0LsTO|
HIS KNOWN VIEWS ON CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT ARE GIVEN
IN DETAIL.
Subject l. Hansmen- Description Of
Revolving Grimes Gives Them More
Pay for Their Revolving and In
human Job Love Would Reform
the World.

GATED Press received early Saturday
from Vladimir Tschertkonf, literary
agent OF the late Count Tolstoi, the
last article written by Tolstoi. It is
entitled Effective Means" It was
written by Tolstoi in the Optina Mon
astery on November II, shortly after
he began his self-imposed exile from
home4 The article was given the Asso-
clated Press by M. T. Schertkoff at
the express wish of Count Tolstoi for
dissemination to mankind. It says:
Il am naturally anxious to do all |
can against evil, which tortures the
best spirits of our time.
Il think the present effective war
against capital punishment does not
need forcing; there is no need for an
expression of indignation against it's
immortality, cruelty and absurdity.
Every sincere, thinking person; ;
everybody knowing from youth the
sixth commandment, needs no expla-
nation of its absurdity and immortality.
There is no need of descriptions of the
horrors Of executions as they only af-
feet the hangman, so men will more
unwillingly become executioners and
governments will be obliged to COM
pensate them more dearly for their
services.
Therefore think that neither the
expression of indignation against the
murder Of our fellow men nor the sug-
gestion of it's horror is mainly needed,
but something totally different.
"As Kantwell says, there are delu-
sions which cannot be disproved and
we must communicate to the deluded
mind knowledge which will enlighten
and then the decisions will vanish by
themselves.
What knowledge need we commune
cate to the deluded human mind re-
garding the indispensableness, useful
ness or justice of capital punishment
in order that said delusion may destroy
itself?
such knowledge, in my opinion, ia
this:
"The knowledge Of what is man,
what his surrounding world; what his
destiny; hence. what man can and
must do and principally what he can
not and must not do.
Therefore, we should oppose pun
ishment by intoxicating this knowledge
in all men, especially to hangmen's
managers and sympathizers, who
wrongfully think they are maintaining
their position. thanks to capital pun
ishment.
Not Easy Task.
II know this is not an easy task.
The employers and approvers of hang
men with the instinct of self-preserva-
ton feel that this knowledge will
make impossible the maintenance OF
the position which they occupy, hence
not only will they themselves not
adopt it, but by all means in their
power, by violence, by deceit, cruelty
and lies, they will try to hide from
the people this knowledge, distortine
it and exposing its disseminators to
all kinds OF privations and sufferings
Therefore il we wish readily to de
stroy the delusion Of capital punish
ment and if we possess the knowledge
which destroys this delusion, let u.s.
in spite of all menaces, deprivations
and sufferings, teach the people this
knowledge. because it is solely the
enective means in the fight.
LEO TOLSTOI.
"Optina Monastery. November H.