Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-03-08


upon that subject, passed the Senate on Tues
day last by vote Of 10 to 6.
Mr.. German has presented bill in the SEN
ate authorizing the employ ment of couvcts
Of the House Of Refuge in digging the extern
sion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to
Baltimore. The close proximity of this re-
formatory institution to the line of canal to
be dug will prove good test Of utilizing va
grant labor.
Col Alfred Spates has memoria!Zed the
Legislature to investigate charges of bribery
Of voters of Allepany county, lodged by the
memorialist, by officials of .he Chesapeake
and Ohio canal with money Of that institu-
ton to defeat the memorialist at the election
The Colonel has been requested by commit
tee to make his charges more specific. Col. S.
has not yet complied with the request Of the
committee. Mr.. German declares that 'there
has been no money of the canal expended in
bribery to defeat any one; but if he had
expended money 10 defeat the momorialist it
would have been serving Allegany county"
That is an excellent bill which Mr.. Rayner
introduced in the Maryland Legislature, and
which prohibits girls under sixteen and boys
under fourteen years of age from attending
dance houses concert saloons, theatres or varie-
ties where liquors are sold and indecent per-
fprmances are given, or the tendencies are
immoral. Proprietors are fined $40 for viola
ton. tits high time the attendance Of children
at the filthy performances was stopped. Better
still would be the enactment Of law TO close
such places, and make il criminal offense for
the police Of the district in which they are
located TO let them keep open.
The conclusion of peace is announ ced be-
tween Russia and Turkey, and il appears that
Russia has Abandoned some Of her important
claims, including The demand for The Egyptian
and Bulgarian tributes. Lord Derby has de-
clared that the extenton Of the Russian from
tsir over those parts of Armenia held by con-
quest, including the fortress of Kars and the
port of Batoum, will not effect the English
interests, ard the abandonment of the Russian
uttnahu " uhfc tuC tuIhioH iIOu-SIauo anu
the Bulgarian aud Egyptian tributes turned
. over to her removes other possible causes of
disagreement. 1t is impossible, therefore, 10
see where England finds the elements of
causus belh She has been outwited in her
diplomacy, aud however much English inter
ests may be indirectly threatened by the in
fuence Russia is destined hereafter to exert
upon al. matters relating to European Turkish
affairs, for the present she has adroitly avoided
pressing those points that would have brought
England in the field against her. Thus much
Russia now gains.
THE WHIPPING POST AGAIN.
Tie whipping post agitation is becoming so
general, end as we have been credited with be.
Jug the inccndiary, we cannot refrain from
adding little more fuel TO the flames. We
started :he question, feeling fully assured of
the advsability Of its adoption. We saw 10
il curative of crime aud a method Of decreas-
ing taxation. We had seen every other
daily increasing while it laughed to derison
our jails and pcnitentiaries. AT each term of
the Court the criminal docket was growing
larger and larger and the miserable convcts
sent TO the peniientiary rapidly multiplying.
How long would society stand this increasing
tide OF crime washing upon its foundation
From the lowest social grades up TO the high
est in the land it has crept until every circle
is permeated with its penicious influence. I'm
prisonment and disgrace seem inadequate to
deter anyone from outrage upon law. Cor
poral punishment in the past aud even now in
States where il is in operation has been and is
a preventive Of the commission of crime 10 a
considerable extent
From the moment that il was permitted to
fall Into disuse because the nerves OF civil
Ization had become SO exceedingly delicate
that they could not bear the groans of the
convicted criminal, crime began 10 Increase
Therefore, /, is plainly evident that the most
effective punishment ever yet devised is that
which carries with il bodily suffering Then
why not return 10 in Because, eorsooth, 1t
is pronounced brutal and barbarous by some
whom nature has provided with too delicate
sensibiliiies. Their faces grow ashen, and
they shuuder with horror at the bare idea Of a
few stripes across the back of thief, while
they lean back in their chair with t.eir feet
upon the stove and read with utmost COM
placency in the morning newspapers an ac-
count Of the threats of a whole family cut BY
tramps.
Oh how much do these wandering out
casts deserve the watchful care and consider
alton OF our tender-hearted citizens, and what
au outburst Of holy indignation should sug-
gestion TO punish them arouse. They commit
every crime from murder aud arson down 10
petty larceny, aud when an adequate and er-
fective punishment, is suggested he who sag.
gesis il is accused Of bsrbarism and brutality !;
out upon such false seuiimentAism which
draws the thief to the bosom OF commissera-
ton, pours tears Of pity upon bis crime-bard-
ened head, speaks words Of cheer and comfort
in bis ear and then says, al am sorry must
send you TO Jail for thirty days" Keep on
folding tramps and thieves to your bosoms,
ur,il you get your throats cut and then you
will stop II.
But we see nothing so brutal about the
whipping post. Every nation recognizes the
wisdom and justice Of capital punishment fcr
crimes Of magnitude, aud il would seem al.
most a certain consequence that corporal pun.
ishmeot Of a slighler degree would be used for
minor offences. II the taking Of life for the
commission Of crime is NOT barbarous, then,
why should a lev striDes inflicted with 4. Lash