The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-16
THE ROD IN SCHOOL.
BILL APPS TTEWs AB0Ur WHIP
PING CHILDREN.

Whether the bad boys should be whipped at
school or not seems to have provoked discus
sion all over the land. / have received several
letters from teachers upon that subject, and
the sum Of them all is that home rule Is n
bigger thing than rule in the school room and
II boy is governed at home by fear Of the rod
nothing else will govern him at school for a
while. Time and association may gradually
educate him out Of it. Professor Boyd, of
Bell county, Texas, says: ~ taught one year
In a community that warned me in advance
that would have to be mighty tight with the
boys or they would run over me, for they were
q bad lot. And they were. / had so much
whipping to do that | sought another field,
and there found an aifectionate kind relation
between parents and children, had no
trouble in governing that school, and never
used the rod or the ferule. Tho parents
are more responsible than the teachers. He
must for q 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
10 make a sweeping innovation. We are too
apt 10 swing from one extreme 10 another and
In departing from the old iron rule 10 adopt
system softer than wax. We still need tho
Iirmness of our fathers without their stern re-
serve. We need closer companionship be-
tween parents and teachers and children.
When this comes and not till then, can tho
rod be safely abandoned at home or in school.
Another teacher refers To Solomon and
Moses for authority, and says that even the
eayior used q scourge or whip and thresbed
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Another declares that "the trouble 10 in tho
average teachers untitness to govern. Fitness
30 teach and fitness to govern ara very
different things" believe that tho discussion
will do good II Is interesting the parents all
over the land, bat il viii never settle down to
perfection, for there arc parents in every com
hunity who are not nj to be parents and so
there are boys who fear nothing but the law
And its terrors Old Father Adam made bad
start IN raising Cain and the race has not i'm
proved any 70 speak Of.
While Eliminating over this subject my mind
unconseiously required TO story that my
father told us a long time ago. II may be an
old story to old people but your young readers
have not heard ii, and 30 1 viii relate 1t for
their benefit,
had been wild and reckless and feared not God
nor regarded man, but one day at a camp meet
ing while Bishop CASTOR was shaking up the
sinners and scorchiDg thom little over tho
internal pit, Tom got alarmed and before
the meeting was over protested religion and
became a Jealous, optspoken convert, and de-
olared his intention OF going forth into tho
world and preach the gospel. IIo was terribly
In earnest, for he said he had lost power OF
time and must make IL up. Tom was rough
taiker but he was q good one and knew night
smart of 'scripter' and a good many of tho
old fashioned hymns by heart. The conference
thought lac was pretty good fellow to send out
into tho border country among tho settlers, and
20 Tom stradded his iica-bitten gray and in
due time was circuit riding in north Mississippi.
In course OF time he acquired notorieiy, and
from his strong vigorous language and musou-
lar eloquence, they called him "Old Sledge
Hammer and aitera while "Old Sledgo" for
short. Away down In one corner OF his terri
tory, called the "Degil S koost,' there was o
blacksmith shop and wagon shop and whisky
shop aud post0iiico at Bin Jones' Crossroads,
and Bll kept all of them and was known far
and wide as Devil Bill, SO as TO distinguish
him from Squire Bill, the magistrate. Devil
Bill had Sword" an oath that no preacher
should ever toot q horn or sing n "hime' In
the settlement, and II any of the cussed hypo-
critics ever dared to stop at the crossroads, he'd
make him dance a hornptpe and sing hine,
and whip him besides. Aud Bill Jones meant
tust what he said. for he had g mortal hate for
tho men of God. Ii was reasonably supposed
that Bill could do and would do what he pro-
posed, for hts daily work al the anvil had made
him strong, and everybody knew he had as
much brute courage as was necessary Uncle
Tom had heard OF these threats, and was adj
yised 20 take roundanoe and never 10 Tickle
che crossroads lie accepted this advice for
time. and left that people 10 the bad influence
Of Devil liill and the devil, bat IL seemed TO
him he was not doing the Lords will, and
whenever he thought OF the women and child
rcn living in darkness and growing up in
claim "What pity, what pity" Ono night
he prayed over It with great earnestness, and
vowed 20 do the Lords will il the Lord would
give him light, and II seemed to him as he
rose from his knees that there was no longer
any doubt. He must 90 To the devils roOst.
Uncle Tom never dallied about anything when
his mind was made up. Ifo went right OF ID
like killing snakes and so next morning as a
nahof passed on his way 70 Bill Joness shop,
Uncle Tom said; my friend will you please
TO carry message to SIN Jones for me. Tell
him that IL tho Lord is within / viii be nt the
crcss roads to preach next Saturday morning
ct eleven o'clock, and Pm shore the Lord is
willin' Tell him 10 please norate il in the
settlement about and about, and AK tho women
and children TO come. Tell Bill Jones will
stay nj his house, God within and Pm shore
he Is wlllin', and III preach on Sunday, too, II
all things are harmonious.
When BIN Joues get tho message he was
amazed, astoauded and his Indignation knew
no bounds. lie rayed aud oassed at tho "on-
suit as he called il, the ousultng message Of
Old Sledge and he sworo that he would hunt
him down and follow him TO hel's half acre
and whip him, for he knew that he wouldn't
dare to come 10 the crossroads. But the
Majors whispered Il around that Old Sledge
mout coiuo for lie was never known 70 make
an appointment and break it. There was an
old hcrsethioi who used 10 run with Murrel's
gang and he said he used to know Tom Bar
ker when he was a sinner and had seed him
Fight and he was much OF n man" Gentlemen
Rs shore as you re bern he's bad ua 70 onder-
take" SO it spread Ike wilddre that ola
eleGge was coming and thar Devil Bill was
gwiue 20 whip him and make him dance aud
Bing and treat TO a gallon Of peach brandy be-
sides. Devil Rili had his enemies, of course,
for he was a hard man and had gobbled M ali
the surplus Of the naborhood
and these enemies had long hoped ioI somebody
TO come and turn him down. They, too ois-
culated the atouding news, and, without COM
hitting themselves, said that hell would break
loose on Saturday ST the crossroads. and that
Old Slodgo or tile devil would have to 90
under.
ON Friday tho settlers began 10 drop in,
under preteDce Of business. but really To get
the bottom factsof sho rumcrs that were ahoat.
Devil Bin know lull well what they came Tor,
and he talked and cursed moro fuFously than
usual, and he sworc that anybody who would
come oxpectin' TO see Old Sledgc was an in.
fernai fool for he wasent q comm. lie laid
bare his big strong arms and shook his long
hair and said he wished the lynn dooeivin'
hynocrite would come for IL had been nigh
ONO fourteen years since he had made a
preacher dance. Saturday morning by nine
O'Clock there were mere people az
the crossroads than had ever
gathered there before, and llill Jones
WAS uaud NJ tlnfr Dr.si.1tt.s t..R Ia, ~