River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-01-15

of whipping him on the inside, and
| consequently, if Webster is correct,
we infiict corporal" and not ''corpo-
real' punishment. When we were
boys there was no such nice discrim.
ination made. This change in the
use of words, however. is only anoth-
er illustration of the many changes
that are continually going on in the
language. But to the subject in hand.
We believe in corporal punishment,
speaking for ourselves individually.
We did not when we were victims of
| it, but when we were elevated to the
post of victors and could WELD the rod
| ourselves, then our opinions under
| went change. This is only one of
many illustrations of the changes that
| will take place in mans opinions I'M
| der change of circumstances. While
we believe in this kind of punishment,
| we think there should be some limit
alton affixed to the use of the rod.
| We do not believe that it is necessary
to kill boys, except in very rare in
stances, and we are sustained in this
| belief by those who have the power
to lnfict this kind of punishment, for
it is very rarely that boys are killed,
| sometimes,w I'VE have thought as events
have proved, hardly often enough for
the good of the boys. We believe
this method should be resorted to only
when other methods have failed. Nor
| do we believe in administering it that
it is very often necessary to throw
| them over the school-house or stand
! them on their ears on a red hot stove,
and we are glad to learn that this
method is not often practiced NOT as
| often, perhaps, as formerly. We
| mention this as an illustration of the
changes taking place in school habits
and customs. But notwithstanding
there are some things in which we do
not believe in connection with this
| matter, there are some things IN which
we do believe. Among these is, that
some obstinate boys are more suscept-
Idle to bodily pain than to moral infiu-
ence. A good switch will go a great
ways farther than fine sentiments in
dealing with them. The inside of the
hand, or that portion of the human
| framework most exposed to vindic-
| tive boots, is tenderer in the case of
many boys than that which takes the
| place of a heart or conscience with
| impress them or tune them up to duty
| the application of force is not without
its effect. Boys and girls in school
| must of necessity come under some
| kind of regulation for the good of all
| concerned. If they will not come vol
UNFAIRLY, if they cannot be persuaded
to come, then they must be brought
under by force. Force, physical force
is the last resort in any form of gov
eminent. When it cannot be applied,
there are cases where the power to
govern is taken away. You may take
almost any of our schools and let it be
understood that in no case shall a
teacher be permitted to inflict any
bodily pain upon a scholar, and you
disarm the teacher in the presence
of some in the chool. We be-
lieve that this form of punishment
should be resorted to airing y.
But we believe that every scholar
in school should understand that a
teacher has the right, if in his judg-
ment it seems best, to resort to it,
| when other methods of securing ODE
dience fail. AS we have already said
there are those susceptible to none of
the ordinary influences that teachers
are expected to use. They have phys
ical feelings only and the way to touch
these is to touch them with a stick, and
the fear that they may be touched in
this way has a wholesome restraint up
on their conduct. 1t is true that many
objections to this method are urged.
| Much is said about the enlightenment
of this nineteenth century, as though
the period had brought with it some
wonderful changes, and made wonder
full demands. There is a great deal of
balderdash in this kind of talk. They
may have talked in the same way in
the ninth century. The fact is human
nature remains about the same in ev-
cry period, and our theory is that a
mans treatment under law should be
determined by his conduct. If a boy
| in school in the nineteenth century
conducts himself so as to require a
good licking to set him on the right
basis, in relation to the government
of the school, he should receive it as
matter of fact, just as really as it is
to be presumed that boys in the ninth
century schools received good lickings
for bad behavior. The infection of
corporal punishment is said to be brut-
al, and an unworthy treatment of
those who have within them the in
stincts of manhood. But the fact IS
those boys who so conduct themselves
as to require such punishment have a
great deal that is brutal in them, and
these instincts of manhood that some
talk about could not be found with a
microscope or heard with a micro
phone. We have seen boys that could
scarcely be distinguished from small
bulldogs except by their shape. 1t is
a reproach upon the nineteenth CEN
tury, perhaps. to produce them, never
theless we have them, and they must
be subdued by appropriate methods.
Much is said about an appeal to the
finer feelings of the boy. But the
fact is, the boys or the girls that have
these finer feelings seldom if ever
need punishment. There are boys