Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-03-12
Aancaster !4ntelltgenccr.
vEpsrs Az rvENrNa, MAR. ia, 1884
Hack 10 the Lash.


The Massachusetts, House has passed
o bill providing that wife beaters shall
be themselves beaten In the houses Of
correction Of their respective counties.
Massachusetts returns to her ancient
predilectIon for corporal chastisement
In certain cases, the difference being that
she has changed her views as to the pro-
per provoking cause for such treatment
Of her citizens. Once upon time 1t
was witches and scolding women who
were fiogged, and now 1t is brutal men.
The change is an Improvement but 1t
Is rather unexpected In state which
has had such a high veneration
for the black mans skin that 1t
was convulsed at the thought that 1t was
subjected to stripes. 1t was the stripes
themselves that then were horrible.
FloggiDg In itself was declared In
human and unfit for the back Of
a human being. Our neighbor, Della
ware, which has persisted in ap-
plying the lash to certain classes Of
her criminals, persuaded that the state
was benefited thereby, has been the OBJ
ject of derision in her sister states claim
ing to be more civilized and to have a
higher conception Of the vineirights,
attributes and immunities of man.
Delaware was torn to tatters on
the theory, but had consoled herself
with the substantial benefits Of the prac
tice. And now Massachusetts, is first
to be converted to the conviction that
the theory which protects human flesh
from the degrading lash is subject to
proper exceptions. She advances sgingerly
toward the whipping post as a panacea
for crime. The experiment tried upon
the brutal husband, IL found to work
well, may be expected to have further
subjects in brutal men of all kinds. 1t
may be concluded that the Massachusetts,
mind may be penetrated with the con.
viction that brutality generally
effaces the claim of man to be
treated as man, and that the
lash is punishment for his misdeeds as
becoming as it is efficient and cheap.
The cheapuess of it will especially rec
ommend it to the frugal mind of the
Yankee solon and it is a good recon-
mendation, too. There is no particular
propriety in taxing good citizens unnec-
essarily for the support of the
bad. Imprisonment is an expen
sive punishment New York, which
has been trying to pay the cost By the
contract labor of her convicts, has JUS
given up that plan, by vote of hel
people, under the we'll developed defect!
of a system which places the criminal,
under the control of contractors for the
labor, and makes them their keepers
New York is looking around for ney
method of cheapening the punishment u
crime and may well be attracted to tn
Massachusetts, adhesion to the Delawar
plan. 1t is worth trying. 1t has merit
There isno doubt in the first place tha
logging is punishment. Noone was eve
known to like to receive it and ther
are many prisoners who do like imprisOn
ment ard to whom it is no punishment
There are great many more to whor
IL Is but slight punishment. Being al
undoubted punishment it will undoubt
edly prevent crime, which is the grea
object of punishment, and New Yorl
need not let any sentimental aversion Il
laying the lash on human backs deter
her from trying the whipping post
since "paddling" is an established
custom in her prisons /; and certainly il
1t is proper to fog at prison keepers
command, it is right to provide by Law
that it may be done by authority of 4
judges sentence Pennsylvania, though
we believe she does not let her prison
keepers fog, may prohtably consider
whether certain classes Of her criminal;
should not be logged by judicial SEN