The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-03
Whipping in the Public schc ols-Prof. Rote
Surreudrrs.

Surrenders.
AT the meeting of the school board yeSter-
day, Prof. Rote surrendered as gracefully as it
was possible for him to do but nevertheless it
is complete and unconditional capitulation
upon the question of whipping in the schools.
The professor attempts to review the reasons
pro and con and makes out an overwhelming
case in favor of the entire adjustment of cor
poral punishment, and we hope the sugges-
ton of the professor will be promptly carried
out.
Since We have made the war upon this
question, and have been unSparing in our COM
ments, we give Prof Rote's capitulation, and
shake hands with him over the advanced step
in our public schools.
The sound of the lash shall no more be
heard in our public schools:
SAN ANTONIO, May 2, 1882.
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of Education
beg leave to make the following report on
corporal punishment: The question of cor
poral punishment is one that has engaged the
profoundest thought of the most distinguished
educators in every age, and the arguments for
and against it, show that such ratiocnation is
based neither on motives of cruelty or gush Of
sentimentality, but on 4 candid view of the
broad question as related to the best welfare
of humanity.
The preponderance of authority and of prac-
tiCe is yet in favor OF restricted corporal pun
ishment, but the growing tendency is towards
its partial and total abolition.
The strongest argument in favor of corporal
punishment when applied as the dernier re-
sort as opposed to expulsion which must take
its place, is that there is class of boys, vary
ing in point of numbers, so lost to all moral
influence, and SO Indifferent to ordinary school
restraints and penalties, that they would re-
gard it as boon, and not a penalty, to be
excluded from school, to populate the streets
with the idle and the vicious and crowd our
prisons with juvenile offenders. And it is fur
Their argued that there are sons of widowed
mothers and worthless fathers who can not or
do not restrain them at home; and when these
are turned from school they are lost indeed.
TO these children the city owes an education,
and in order to bestow it, it is bound by every
obligation Of right and duty to govern them; If
its chosen officers expel them they evade most
solemn responsibility by denying to the vicious
and ignorant, to those who need it most, the
reforming influence of good education.
AS against corporal punishment, it is ar
gued that it excl,es angry passions, not only in
the child, but also in the teacher, and that its
tendency is to demoralze and debase human
nature by arousing its worse passions: that the
lnfiction of corporal punishment is often,
from necessity, committed to inexperienced
and immature teachers, who lacking Judgment
and self-control are now and then lead to COM
nit thoughtless indiscretions and provoking
excuses.
And it is further argued that the supreme
welfare of the ninety and nine should be con-
served and prom NtNd and that their rights and
we'll being are p ,ramount to him whom no
law can restrain bat physical pain; that COR
poral punishment, if necessary in such ex-
IRENE cases, should not therefore be inds-
criminately applied in schools that can be
governed without it,, and that expulsion will
rid the school of the communicating influence
| of this quasi criminal class.
AS regards the conduct and government of
our public schools, it has been my uniform
counsel to teachers under the regulation which
and which regulation was adopted several
years before my connection with the school
never to infict corporal punishment until all
other means had failed l also counseled
them never to punish child in haste nor in
the presence of his fellows but to wait until
the close of school, when the other teachers
should be called, that by their advice and
counsel a correct judgment might be formed
as to whether the case at hand was Of u char
acter demanding corporal punishment. If so,
then the act would be SO clothed with form
atty, GOODNESS and thoughtfuluess, that there
would be little or no danger of indiscretion or
excess. But am sorry to say that this adj
vice was not always Needed and since there
was no regulation Of the board to that effect,
they were not amenable. My advice, also,
was that corporal punishment should not be
inflicted upon pupils in the upper grades, and
this advice has been generally needed, and
consequently we have had no brawls 10 dis
turb the equanimity of these schools.
From my observations here and elsewhere,
taking into consideration schools, teachers
and people, am ready to affirm that corporal
punishment, in general. works more injury
than good. In recalling the history of various
cases to which my attention has been called, |
remember hardly a case that could not have
been better and more satisfactorily settled by
other means.
The resultant effect upon teachers is also
very damaging. 1t harnesses their feelings, and
often the good work wrought for days and
years is forgotten by an exasperated public on