The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-23
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An exchange asks this question In
the caption to an article which
seems to take both sides of the ques-
ton. The writer is evidently in ia
vor of whipping girls, provided they
are some one else's girls. That is.
about the way a great many feel.
"That re d-headed tom-boy across the
way ought to be thrashed every
day." says an irate father, "but my
little -darling-why q rod would
throw her into COMMISSIONS"
Now the question whether or not
! corporal punishment of children is
expedient is not a new one. As far
back as the days of Solomon 1t had
it's opponents and advocates, the sage
himself being among the latter and
their chief. His dictum, "Spare the
rod and spoil the child" did not ap-
peal to every parent or teacher; that
is, his dfctum as it is commonly IN
derstood. The wise man never meant,
we believe, to prescribe the birch or
the terule as a universal corrective.
It is far more reasonable to presume
that, knowing humanity so well, his
advice was to resort to corporal pun
ishment when necessary and when
other correctives fail. That there are
cases of this sort there is NO doubt,
but their number is reduced to the
minimum when home or school gov
eminent is what it ought to be.
Seneca's opinion, "Whenever cor
poral punishment is inflicted it is a
sign of negligence and incidence on
the part of the teacher" is an ex-
treme expression, and so worde1
that its import cannot be paraphrased
or misunderstood. Still, to accept it
in the fulness of its meaning is not :
with reason and expert
ence. There are cases in which =
the element of fear must be employed '
in school as well as in home disci- :
pline. The presumption that all chill. :.
1ren may he governed entirely by
moral force is not fair, and is in con- .
lict which everybody has observed |.
the widely differing and difficult '
rats In the character of children.
But that the rod should be called in. d
o play to supplement moral force is q
debatable proposition. There are 81
'ther methods of exacting obedience |"
Which should be exhausted before l
be rod should be resorted to.
If there is any one thing that hui :,
ailiates and degrades q sensitive !.
hid in his own estimation more -.
han receiving corporal punishment = y
efore his playmates it has not been y
iscovered. But as the humiliation "
nd degradation of children should
ever form a part of their education -.
le cause should not be employed. -
here are. those, however. who in =.
st upon whipping boys who =.
,uld not be induced to strike a girl ~
18th a rod, a ferule or a strap, and IT,
lese same teachers will wonder why os
is that boys grow up into coarse, 80
'utish men, and the girls into sensi- 20
We, refined women. Say the treat -:
ent should be reversed for a few
'nerations; what would be the VI"
The question is answered in
. condition of the women among ~
e Indians and semi-civilized ma o
)ns. iu'
Should boys he whipped? No. ~
lould girls be whipped? A thous- u"
ID times, no! And unless our in VI
buttons of learning propose to turn
t upon the world succeeding gen.
atoms of coarse, unreined, brutal
IN and shameless women, they will an
yer permit a rod to enter inside enl