The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-10-25
J, p - THE ROD IN SCHOOL,
AA@~ p
i Bill Arp's Views About whipping Children.
atlanta Constitution.

boy is governed at home by fear of the
rod nothing else will govern him al
school for a while. Time and association
may gradually educate him out of it.
Professor Boyd, of Bell County, Texas,
says: "I taught one year in commu
nifty that warned me in advance that
would have to be mighty tight with the
boys or they would run ovet me, for they
were;a bad lot. And they were. had
30 much whipping to do that I sought
janother field, and there / found an afec.
tionate, kind relation between parents and
children. I had no trouble in governing
that school, and never used, the, rod Or
the ferule: The parents ate more fespon-
sible than the teachers, he must for a
time follow their lead or he will have no
government. The old way produced
great men like Washington and Jefferson
and Ben Franklin and Madison, and it
will not do to make sweeping innova-
tion.4 We are apt to swing from one
extreme to another; and in departing
from the old iron rule, to adopt system
softer than wax. We still need the firm:
ness of oar fathers without their stern
reserve. We need a closer companion.
ship between parents and teachers and
children. When this comes, and not till
then, can the rod be safely abandoned at
home or in shcool."
Another teacher refers to Solomon and
Moses for authority, and says that even
the Savior used scourge or a whip and
threshed the money changers out of the
temple.
Another declares that ..the trouble is
in the average teachers un6tness 10 gov.
ern. Fitness to teach and fitness to gov.
ern are very different things.n Ibelieve
THAT the discussion will do good. It is
Interesting the parents all over the land,
but it Whenever settle down to perfec.
ton, for there are parents in every com.
immunity who are not ft to be parents, and
30 there are boys who fear nothing but the
law and its terrors. Old Father Adam
made a bad start in raising Cain, and the
race has not improved any to speak Of
While ruminating over this subject my
mind unconsciously recurred tofa story
that my father told us along; time ago.
It may be an old story to old people, but
your young feaders have not heard it,
and 80 will relate it for their benefit.
Uncle Tom Baker was much of a man.
He had been wild and reckless and
feared not God, nor regarded man, but
one day alta camp meeting, while Bishop
CASTOR was shaking npthe sinners and
scorching them little over the internal
pit, Tom got alarmed, and before the
meeting Was over protested religion and
became 8 Jealous, outspoken convert, and
declared his intention of going forth into
the world and preaching the gospel. He
was terribly in earnest, for he said he had
lost a power Of time and must make it
up. Tom was a rough talker, but he was
q tgood. one, and knew right smart Of
sgsscripter,n and asgood many of.the old
fashioned Hymns y&heart.a The confer
ence thought he was pretty good fellow
to send out into the border country
among the settlers, and so Tom straddled
his flea bitten gray, and in due time was
circuit riding in North Mississippi. In
course of time he acquired notoriety, and
from his strong vigorous language and
muscular eloquence, they called him
"Old Sledge Hammer" and after q
while "Old Sledge" for short. Away
down in one corner of his territory,
called the "Devil's Roost, " there was q
blacksmith shop and Wagon shop and q
whisky shop and postofice at Bill
Jones' Crossroads, and Bill kept all of
them, and was known far and swide as
Devil Bill, 80 as to distinguish him from
Squire Bill, the magistrate. Devil Bill
had ."sword" an oath that no preacher
should ever foot horn or sing a Shine"
in the settlement, and if any of the
cussed kypocrites ever dared to stop at
the cross roads, he'd make him dance q
hornpipe and sing hime, andiwhip him
besides And. Bill-,Jones meant just
what he said, for he had mortal hate
for the men of God. TWAS reasonably
supposed that Bill could do and would
do what he proposed, for his daily work
at the anvil had made him strong, and
everybody knew he had as much brute
courage as was necessary.s Uncle Tom
had sheard s1of.zthese sthrsats,s andF was
advised to take roundance, and never to
tackle the cross roads. He accepted this
advice for aTtime, andlleft. that. people
to the bad influence of Devil Bill and the
devil, but it seemed to him he was not
doing the Lords will, and whenever be
| thought of the women and children liv-
| ing in darkness aud growing up in inf
deity he would groan in spirit and
exclaim "What pity, what q pity"
One night he prayed over it with great
earnestness, and vowed. to do the Lords
willif the Lord would give him light.
and it seemed to him as he rose from bis
knees that there was 10 longer any doubt
he must 20 to the DEVILS roost. Uncle
Tom never dallied about anything when
his mind was made up. He went right
at it like killing snakes, and so next
morning as q nabor passed on his way ia
Bill Jones's, shop, Uncle, Tom said:
ss"My friend ,swill you please. carry mes,
Esage- -toSBilf JoDes:for me. & Tell him that
Isif the Lord is willin' / will be at the
cross roads to preach next Saturday
morning at eleven o'clock, and I'm shore
the Lord is willin'. Tell him to please
norate it in. the settlement about and
about, and az the women and children tc
come. Tell Bill Jones 1 will stay at his
house, God willin', and I'm shore he is
willin, and I'll preach on Sunday, too, i
all .hipgs are harmonious"
When Bill Jones got the message he
was amazed, astounded and his indigna
ton knew no bounds. He raved ano
cussed at the consult" as he called it, the
onsulting message of Old Sledge, and ht
swore that he would hunt him down and
follow him to hell's half acre and whit
him, for he knew that he wouldn't dare
to come to cross roads But the naborl
whispered it around that Old Sledgt
mout come, for he was never known K
make an appointment and break it
There was an old horsethief who used tt
run with Murrel's gang, and he said ht
used to know Tom Barker when he was s
sinner and had seen him fight and ht
was much of a man-"Gentlemen 81
shore as you're born he's bad IN tt
undertake" !" So it spread like wildtir,
that Old Sledge vas coming, and thai
Devil Bill was gwine to whip him ant
make him dance and sing and treat to {
! gallon of peach brandy besides. Devi
| Bill had his enemies, of course, for b
was hard man and had gobbled up al