The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-06-02
FL6Ga1Na .ne,i1S,
peace.

readers are wcaricd with tho protratt-
ed discussion upon tic question of cor
poral punishment in the school.room.
b't having provoked tho .controvcrsy.
somo vindication is due tho position
mat we have taken, and upon that
scofe we claim n right 70 indulgence.
In the first place we arc opposed to
hogging on principle, because it brings
no permanent good to tho child and
renders no valuable assistance to the
Instructor.
The authority given the teacher over
tho pupil is intended simply to enable
him, by judicious exercise of it, to
unfold tho dormant faculties, and 10
mould and shape tho little mind into
the beauty and symctry OF Il we'll
rounded manhood. Then it mist fol-
low that the delegation Of any autEori-
ty, not calculated to accomplish the
desired result, is impolitic, cruel and
unnecessary. We contend that cor
p"rai punishment is not calculated to
accomplish tlic purposes of its infic-
tiolr because the true theory is to lcod
not to drfUe; TO control tile Source
""d .Jo"nfoiM or impulses ona Desires,
and by .judicious and kind treatment
10 secure the maintenance of the hap
py relation that must exist between
teacher and taught, in order to advance
the educational interest of the latter.
Can it be denied Tor one moment that
tho existence OF unlricndly feelings BE-
tween teacher and pupil will multiply
and complicatc the difficulties that
bcsct the pathway Of the instructor?
And is it not equally true that in propo. :
ton to the severity Of punishment re-
sorted to, III the same proportion, will
the feelings of hatred or love exist.
We claim, then, that the rod Grip
pies tho personal influence OF the
feachcr. But what does it do TO the
child? Whipping, cali it by what
name you please, is an appeal to physi-
cal prowcss, and it is trte Styling
That brutality brutaizcs, or rs Herbert
Spencer iorcibly says: "rhc truth is
that snvagcncss bcgcts savagcntss, and
TINT gcntlcncss bcgcts gcntlcness.
Chlldrcn who arc unsynlpatl etically
treated become relatively unsv,npa-
thetic; whereas treating them will,
due lellow-tGcling is Il means Of cult
valing their lrllow-ircling. With
school government, as with political
ones, Il harsh tlcspotism itself generates
great part Of The offences it has to
rcprcss; while conversely mild and
liberal rule not only avoids many
causes OF disscnsions, but SO anchor
nics the tone OF feeling as to diminish
the tendency to lrans"rcsSiun."
VIC cannot sec how an impartial
Mtnd ran for one moment entertain
the opinion that the birch can ever be
Instrumental in unfolding the mental
, faculties of II boy, or warming into
life the germ Of virtue that may find
lodGmcnt in his heart. We NAV be il,
error, but it certainly strikes us that i,
is approaching the solution of q
difficult problem in tho wrong wny,
Can it coax him--can it persuade hin,
can il instil into him the necessary
ardor and enthusiasm? Will it cnoblr
will it elevate, will it refine, will il
purify the hcart-acW it cdUcuic fbt
0oH! "tho jocular school master who
claimed that if learning could not be
got into the head any other way i,
must be driven up the backbone, was
fully rs logical rs those who assert that
intellectual and moral education car
be inculcatcd by bcatiny." But we &C
further, and say that it is not only
vicious in Meoyy, but that it has been
demonstrated bW experiment to be
wholly unnecessary. Now, it will be
conceded by all, that if the proper dis.
ciplinc can be maintained without il, i!
ought to be dispensed With.
The Superintendent of the citv
schools of New York, in his official re.
port, says: "lt is satisfactorily cstnb
Ilshcd, in my Judgment, that no ubso:
lutte necessity exists for II continuance
OF this mode Of discipline so liable tc
abuse, so rcpugnnnt to every scnsbili
~ OF our nature, and SO Mt variance
with an enlightened system of publ,
instruction and the dictates of q SOUND
public opinion. | cordially congratu
late the board upon its entire udoii.
Ton.'
From Syracuse, N. Y, the o0iciql
report reads: "l,ut little more thn,
half the number Of suspensions arc re-
ported this year as last. The facts
abnndantly prove that tho cxpcricnc,
Of abolishing corporal punishment
from the public schools has Dy0rcn {
success, and it has now been trict
thrce gears; long enough to hay,
proven failure if ii is ever to be .
failure"
| The Superintendent OF the Madison
Wisconsin, public schools, SAYS :: "Tha
this mode Of punishment is virtual,
abolished and the discipline is mucl