The New York herald., 1873-12-22

nent necessary and asserted mat since It's abolish
nent the schools had advanced In the two essen
als Of order and discipline Twenty wears nn,n iron
be ashamed 10 see his name on sucn loi VI
Mr. Townsend favored the general intent OF the I
report, though possibly, some notifications would
: OBJECT or THE PUNISHMENT
Of children not the qualification OF passion on
the part OF the teacher, but TO teach the chia ~
early years sef-conuoi. That was the object o. an
teacher stood IN the place OF the parent ~ should
be recollected that they were dealing not WIN
men put with children Tney ynr haa .ne wbo we're
destined to be respected citizens or criminas, "
TO fill some station between the two e.ss exiremes.
Those members Of the Board who advocated this
amendment OF their laws were simply IN i%as9a %
OF reasonable and proper pnnisnmen- ny |
Knew Knew @ em MS nnole PERSONA ,es spes% sehoos Who
were under restraint whatever at home, anc,
in many cases. the teacher was under the neces-
them on the highways and byways IN consequence
OF their dsobedience. They then became outlaws.
moderate restraint, they might be converted into
good citizens There was no possibllity OF govern
ing the world without restraint. we weIe t no, ,h ~
the millennium; when we were, we could ADOPT tne
easy policy OF giving every man The KISS OF peace
whether he struck US or not. He found, In his own
a . source Of griei 70 be obliged to DO It but
was he TO stand idly by and not IMPOSE
the restraint necessary for secontro ssS, Snouta
MIS- child and TO Cod If ne let that cnid &c
70 perdtion from want OF restraintY They were
spending 81, 600 In the education or the chdren
oi this city, and were they not to put restraint
upon them2 Where there was lawleBsnesS at nome
and no cons In ns sne ana n
children would turn out vagabonds, criminals anu'
perhaps, victims for the gallows. .,>o,a 90 N.
volved in the debate were
IN FAVOR OF THE MEASURE
excepting MIR. Beardslee, who wanted little more
one OF deep Importance.
Mr.. Brown said the committee did not propose
to restore
THE SYSTEM OF GENERAL PLo6GINs
once In vogue. as could be said by the proposed
exercise OF the rod They proposed to put corporai
punishment under guard, as reserve lorce "a @ uae
hands Of the principal M Tor those VINO could nos so
Immediately control such specimens was an actual
injury to the better class OF scholars, exhaustlng
the time OF the scholars and che energies OF the
| teacher. He called tho attention OF the Board TO
the fact that OF $50 teachers IN the male grammar
| Schools nearly 1900 demanded this change The
| OF corporal punishment, had gwen, no donpt,
true facts, yet deceptive facts; for instance, they
pointed to tine great and sudden dimlnution OF ex'
| nulsious--a matter which arose rather from the
| iact that then first the rue that . child expelled
torced and principals and parents eyaded the rule
/ by the voluntary withdrawal OF the child.
| A motion TO adopt the report was lost, as It re-
uuires twO-thirds vote to alter the bylaws, and
| some OF the members who voted against II hld sc
| because they had not sufficiently examined the
| question. In that condition the report remains
and WIN probably be taken up and acted on finally
1 at the next meeting. Meantime, however, tue
daily press and the school Journal nave been @ ae
nave been writing communications in favor OF ane
against tne proposed change.
| VIEWS OF TEACHERS.
In order to OBTAIN some insight into the genera
| views Of the principals and teachers Of pubic
schools Herald reporter mas o. WITHIN ah ,ne pas. lev lev
sight" and with no previous inkling whatever Q
their prediction. Every one OF them, male ant
| female, favored the reintroduct0n OF the roo. al
provided for In the report OF the committee, ant
| The reporter heard OF but
| ONE WHO WAS OPPOSED TO IT.
| This gentleman is MIR. Thomas Hunter, at presen
principal OF the Normal College. II will be readily
Understood why this gentleman Is so inclined
wnen il is stated that the Normal College Is the IN
stitution from which nearly If not all OF the female
teachers graduate. 1t Is scarcely to be expected
ali Young ladies in the higher branches OF study
Principals and teachers who are well acquainted
with Mr.. Hunter state however. that when ne " a.
In charge OF boys schools, before the abolition o
the roo, few gentlemen swung the nexile bamboo
with more dexterous grace or beneficial effect
Taking into consideration the TACT that no les
than l. 200 OF the principals, vice principals ant
teachers in male schools, nine-tenths Of whom ar
female teachers ana nave at least the aSerag
their sex, have signed petition to the Boar
urging the adoption OF the report, 1t must be COZ
1880 SOME NECESSITY FOR IT.
These teachers are better informed on this sub
70 be. Thea. too in order to anticipate the
tion that s'these young people are too ond of nav
1s be- wnPRns a in tine pscs
are not all 'Joung people" and. secondly, shat th
rod is not to be confded 10 their care, but viii b.
used only by the principal upon proven charges Q
misconduct on the part Of the scholar. 1t is no
proposed nor desired BY any means that eacl
teacher shall be e9npped with rattan % swr
Among those with whom the reporter converset
is Mr B. D. L. Switzerland. Principal OF Gramma
school No. 8, and President or the Teachers Asso
ciation. Mr.. Switzerland Is gentleman OF YER
extended experience and large views and state
that he looks upon the o. ~ fne rue ~
school system. 1t not for the 80 pupils out OF 10
that he deems the ROD necessity, but u Is espec
ally requisite that 1t should be at hand for The one
nundredth IN order to reduce him to some form q
obedience and to curtail the effect OF his
upon other scholars, who, while not themselves re
calcitrant, may yet soon take pattern from tn
rude, uncouth subjects. Every one who has bee
at school knows how boys are very apt TO look VIII
emulous eyes on fellow-sch0lar who can summo
up the courage either to defy his teacher or to TAX
punishment with bravado-hke mpertinence. 1t
only TO check the acts and examples OF such q
these that the use OF the rod need be resorted to-
Mr.. J, Frank Wrigh,, OF Grammar school NO. :
spoken In his views, and maintained that 1t wa
absolutely necessary that the teacher should hav
MORE FORCE AT HIS BACK.
especially in downtown schools, where. as class
the pupils are less subject 20 propef home INIT
enees and eonsroI than Is the case s among @ TN "a
tion tnat during the period OF instruction th
teacher stood in loco pdventes-n the place OF tn
parent-toward the child, and that II the teacne
cannot be entrusted with the full responsibility
the position he or she is unified TO be teache
1t would be found that the mere knowledge OF Tn
existence OF the rod at the back OF the teacher,
be used when required, would OF itself be erea
moral power among pupils without It's physical 81
pcation. Besides, the proposed enactment now b.
lore the Board was so guarded, and held the teache
and principal to such an exact degree OF accoun
ability Tor its construction and application, that
parent heed fear the results OF its workings, Tor h
| penalty OF dismissal Of the principal or teacher
| provided for where 1t shall be shown that the pr
, visions OF the rule are transgressed. 1t was u.s.
less to talk OF 'moral suasion" In extreme case
For these there was ''morai power"' III the vel
THEORY OF THE ROD
without its practice, and 1t was this tnat Is wante
more than the rod itself. The system oil turnin
refractory pupils out Of the schools as last reso
, was a dangerous one and very narrow In It's pu
: view. Its only eject was to make bad be
worse--to make him reckless, an outcast fro
among his fellow scholars; for he could not retur
to public school when thus dismissed until art,