Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-03-28
THE SPANKING PROBLEM.

THE SPANKING PROBLEM.
A weiehty Question That stin Bother
the Heads of Families.
It is surprising what theories mel
and women have about the training o
young children, particularly boys un
til they have the children to train
There's nothing quite so confusing and
disturbing to a first-class, well-regula&,
ed theory as a collision of that theory
with the child for whom it was formu-
lated. Girls are supposed to blossom
out like rosebuds into fragrant and
beauteous womanhood all of their own
sweet will and accord. But a boy has
always been considered a born rebel,
anarchist and iconoclast, about as much
to be depended upon as an active vol
cano and as easy controlled as Kan
sas blizzard. One boy will introduce
rebellion into the most harmonious
household, two boys are perpetual
riot, and three boys are continuous
instruction. Mothers of boys need all
the wisdom of Minerva and the majesty
of Juno, the witchery of Gree and Me-
dea, the tenderness of Niobe. the STRAIT
egy and diplomacy of Ulysses, and the
command and authority of Oliver
Cromwell. Real mothers are like
these natural mothers are few in num-
Der, and often, through the inscrutable
wisdom of the distribution of husbands.
are left in single blessedness, with not
even nephew to bring up, and the
boys come tumbling into the world to
be mothered by women who dream
fondly of golden-haired cherubs in
petticoats, and wake up to the reality
of compressed cyclones in kits and
trousers.
The fundamental principle of dis
cipline through all ages up to the pres
ent esOteric period has been "spare
the rod and spoil the child" and the
children who are fathers and grand
fathers now were whipped for what
they did. and whipped for what they
didn't. and whipped again for fear of
what they might do. Mothers the
most dignifed and celebrated spanked
their children for every trifling Of
Tense. fathers logged their sons
regularly Saturday nights whether
they had committed any misdemeanor
or not just as mothers and nurses
gave them their weekly bath, because
it was the night for it, and the school,
masters feruled their pupils for the
smallest breach of school discipline
Children received little consideration,
their peculiarities were never studied,
their rights were not respected, and
little was done for their pleasure or
amusement Even SO great a person
age as Her Majesty the Queen of En-
gland and Empress of India, on the
occasion OF visit to Scotland, where
her plaided subjects were giving her a
public demonstration of welcome,
seized the disobedient future King of
Great Britain and spanked him 80
artistically before the assembled multi
tude that he was obliged to stand
through the rest of the ceremonies.
When Mrs. Hayes was turning society's
wine-glasses upside down in Washing
ton she frequently sweetened up her
children with seasOnable and SYM
metrical spanking, at which art she
was an adept Rev. Lyman Beecher,
with all his fondness for children, was
In sympathy with the spanking sys-
tenn. and advocated the theory
that while blow on the head
was injurious to child, nature had
provided most excellent facilities and
for spanking, and that no
physical bad results could ensue.
Many conscientious and patient moth
ers indOrse that doctrine, but savants,
and psychologists are OPP
posed.
Spanking is going out of fashion.
slowly and gracefully, like bustles. It
must be admitted that there is nothing
poetical, ideal or essentially beautiful
in the vision of a woman bending, red
faced and indignant to belabor the
little child turned upside down in her
lap. Maternity losses something of its
dignity and sanctity in hand-to-hand
set-to with struggling, screaming.
bundle of ugliness. The
lover who fancies he
has married an angel receives a rude
shock when he sees her apply her slip
per to portions of his youthful heirs
body in correctiOn.-N Y. Sun.
How Long insects Live.
1t is we'll known that Sir John Iub. |
hOoly no hn,r, loor~ s~,oo<,