Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-12-24
~ooarosAls~r usrsH,lpsr.
Editor l~ntslitpeneer

-LrEE4Eft
III Tho last Issue Of your paper,
under the heating, sTho Teachers
|5as.itate.ys prbfessor z, B. Graves
|hivcs the vote OIL y resolution shat
"Corporal punishment should and
ought 10. he abolished,n yeas IL,
nays "a, ard then says, 'sin this
connection, one among the many good
results OF tho Institute may no spoken
OF, as some think that Che tcacllers
were on . spree at public expense"
Aud near the close oflia article, adds,
"lf such views have been dissent.
mated throughout our couuty as arc
represented by the vote of tho 10, aud
tlHs through the ipstrumentality OF
our Institute, l think the swcek no
spree at public expense" Leaving
ont of view these two short extracts,
[ Venture the opinion that au ordi-
nary MUD could hardly, comprehend
neither the Professor was arguing
against corporal punishment or in
favor of the water cure system aud
am fully satisfied that ii the result
indicat, by the vote OF the 10, was
MI the good accomplished by tho In:
stitute, the teachers might better
have been on q spree OF innocent
pleasurc-s0ekihg, and tho sooner The
Teachers Institute is abolished The
better. That vote indicates the senti-
ment in favor ut lax government
which has prevailed to So great an
extent for many years throughout
the land, entering into aud controil-
ing our courts of Justice, screening
tho murderer from corporal punish
mcnt, until the people are beginning
to rccoil with horror from the evil
effects OF this false philanthropy.
Witness the rcsction taking place in
the minds of the people in regard to
capital punishment, aud the. 900 q
quote the. number from memory
teachers who recently petitioucd the
Board of Education of the city Of
New York to restore the iod to the
public schools of that city. The great
trouble is that some men are wiser
now than God was when the Bible
was written, and think they can get
up Il bctt, T. set of laws for the gov.
eminent of society, the school room
amt tho family, than arc rec rdcd by
infinite wisdom. The death penalty
should never be inflicted, the rod
should never be used. is The watch.
word o(t!,Ise humane re!ormers. But
eSrericncc has demonstrated, aud
Will continue to prove. that an adhcr-
ence 10 III rteachiiig of The great Lazy.
giver on This subject, will secure the
greatest good, while n departure
thtrcirom VIII lead TO evil results.
Now, | am fnr from advocating the
iadiscriiuinatc use of the rod in the
~goyernincmt of children. aud think il
should be used only as The last resort,
aud that the teacher who cannot gov
ern the great majority of children by
mild means and neral suasion, should
be turned out of the school room.
But this is not the question at issue;
it Is the entire abolition of the rod
4pder al s6d every circumstance.
Will Professor Graves plcasosto tell
us how many of the Is voting in the
Affirmative Oh this question were
~tcaciicrs in the Iubiic schools OF La
faycttc county, so that we may form
an idea bow rapidly the views, imdi-
Gated. by their vote, is gaining upon
the minds Of our teachers, aud what
they propose TO do with children
whom they cannot govern by their
theory sdf they answer, expeli them
from tlre schools; l think it can be
easily shown that such acourse would
bninfiicting a far greater injury upon
them, upon their friends and upon
Society at large, than 10 bring them
TO Il of their obligation and
Q i! m IS OH 10 soverLm u, by q judi
cious use u the rod.
sFEIENn TO Pubic SCHOOLS.