New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-04
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE ROD IN THE SCHOOLS.

' W
THE ROD IN THE SCHOOLS.
SPIRITED DEBATE on THE ExPEDIHscY or REsroR-
ING CORPORAL PUNIsHMEST-NEW SCHOOL TRUs-
TEES.
A regular meeting of the Board Of Education
was held last evening President Nelson In tho chair
communication was read from Edward C. Cockley OF
No 22s East One-hundred andtwelith st. presenting OBJ
jections TO tho revival OF corporal punishment In the
public schools Among other things he said that thu
desire part OF the teachers to restore corporal
punishment was sure sign that they not cOmpe
tent TO govern themselves or their pupils, and
therefore unfit for the position OF teachers " tho rod
to be applied at ALL he says It should DO applied TO the
teachers rather than to tho scholars for the fault 10
mainly with them. Tho document referred to tho
Committee Teachers. The Board took up tho report
OF the Committee presented on the sth UT, recommend
ing that corporal punishment In the public schools.
which abolished in 1870 DO restored 80 far az male
pupils OF the grammar and primary schools arc con-
cerned. Commissioner Farr opposed tho report OF tina
Committee and moved 10 reconmt H. which was lost.
Commissioner jenkins then spoke very warmly against
the restoration Of corporal punishment which he
characterized retrografe movement In the direction
Of heahensuf and brbarism and unworthy an enlight
ened community He believed that tho display OF anger
and passion by the teacher which always accompanies
the inction of corporal punishment hada very I'M
favorable effect upon the mind Of the pupil Decision
and rnness In teacher would answer all purposes OIL
discipline without the use Of the rod.
Commissioner Wost also opposed The report OF the
committee and cited the statistics OF the schools OF thi
city since the abolition Of corporal punishment, az
proof that its abolition had produced good rather than
OWL effects The attendance had been more regular.
the scholarship higher aud the order better In his
native State il was tho custom, when ho was boy 10
vbip offenders publicly ~ a whpping.post He well
remembered having witnessed such punishment inlet
ed upon negro lad. aud that his younger sister who
also witnessed it, so affected that She tainted away
lilo could easily get 10000 signatures 10 petition against
the restoration Of the rod In public schools Wnero
the rod was used the most there was the most rum nsm
and crime The Friends never Inflicted corporal pun
tshtaent in their families and their children were quito
as we-behaved and obeden, as those OF other scots
C,mmi,youer Townsend was Ia favor OF tic report.
with perhaps some modification Inc OBJECT VI
corporal punishment to teach the child secontroi
to check the first outbreak Of lawessness and setwi
which IL left its course. would result IN Violence
and murder It should be recoueeted that they wera
now dealing with children aud not with grown per-
sons His EXPERIENCE convinced him nat restfl upon
the young even to the extent Of whipping tended 70
make good citizens. They were not lViDS IN tAe NIL
lenpiun when they could Kiss lie wrong docr Did nm
Gods blessing, and let him so. That time might come
hereafter but It had not yet arrived He had been
whipped when BOY, both In school aat az nome ana
it had done him no harm. He he'd got along
through life until he now found himself member OF
Board ElucatOn. Oh course ne ca not liFOr
severe cruel punishment, but lie beloved some sort OF
punishment was 10 good order IN ouF public
schools and would DO beneficial Ia s elects upon the
pupils. ,,,.,
Commission Mathewson said that had II not been
for corporal punishment he honestly believed ne would
not member OF this 1lTd to-day, ana yet he
prepared to vote for this report now lie nOught
important matter should require mature Gellhcf&
ton. He had received large number OF cOmmunlca
tons during the last 4s hours protesting against
tho adoption Of the report OK the Committee. and
almost every person with whom ne pa1 spoken on tne
subject opposed 10 revival OF this Kind or pun
ishnent in the schools He believed that inquiry you'd
show that the worst and most desperate criminals axe
men who hai been subject in their bOy0od % the most
frequent corporal punishment He moved that the re-
port be recOmmltted 50 as 20 ave time for members to
ascertain the opinions OF their constituents II COM
pelled the question, no should vote with tho
opponents OF corporal punishment.
Commissioner Beardsley seconded tho motion OF Mr.
Msthe for apostponemeDt Commissioner Halsted
was opposed any further pOstponenen and decidedly
wi had been examined by the Committee the su6ect
sioner Brown also opposed pOstponement. ConmIs-
sioner Segman said IN FAVOR Of adopting The re-
port did not think the should be TAKEN At that
time Commissioner Halsted hoped. IL the matter wsre
postponed, the report would be- ree0mmtted, but
would a special committee, The motion TO
lost by vote OF 10 TO .. motion 10 post
further consideration OI tho report TAI the next
meeting was then adopted.
The Board then appointed the following trustees or
the schools In their respective wards III place oil hOso
whose expire jan l. 1874, the list covering the