Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-02


easy one travel by.
1.-THE old system produced very many fine
men, very many noble characters. Its op'
ponents claim that whipping tends to de-
base the intellect. Yet the noblest men the
world ever saw were reared under the rod.
You can hardly call the birchings OF Pitts
burg schoolboys in these later days WHIP
ping at all. 1t is
NOTHING TO THE OLD PUNISHMENTS
practiced in cities formerly; and as to the
old-time country school hogglng, 1t would
make reforming principals stare. Here is
another pregnant fact: You will, except in
isolated cases, find the boys who have been
moderately whipped at school standing up
for the system in after life. l have known
hundreds such"
Principal Logan, of the PEBBLES School,
is nearly as fierce an opponent of whipping
as Superintendent Luckey: sit ought to be
weeded out as soon as possible, he observed:
'the longer it exists in our schools, the more
damage it will do. What kind Of damage?
The worst kind. 1t lowers the child in his
or her own estimation. 1t makes the pupil
callous to scenes of cruelty. In many chill
dren that have come across the germs OF
brutality await but suggestion to give
them life. What suggestion more powerful
ping of his schoolfellow. At first he pities
him; but after awhile, if he be possessed of
the seeds of evil, he actually takes
A CRUEL PLEASURE
in this torture. By and BY he becomes a
bully. He maltreats timid small boys, and
threatens them with terrible licking if
they dare to report his conduct to the
teacher. II he be 1ogged himself, he cares
but little. 1 have heard of BOYS, in schools
where whipping existed, who even made a
boast of the number OF birchings they had
received. When youths of this ciass-a
class manufactured by the rod-leave school,
and take up their various walks in life, the
true nature OF their characters appear.
Boodlers, fraudulent clerks, wife-beaters,
and loafers, they usually become.
It will here be observed that Mr.. Logan
evolves his "loafer" by a totally different
process, from that demonstrated by Mr..
Andrews. The latter argues that the want
OF the rod produces loafers; the former that
it is its use which has that effect.
Principal Fisher, of the Lawrence School,
favors whipping to a certain extent. 1--WE
cannot do without it, he pleaded, ''it is a
painful task but we've got to 60 through
with it. OF course I do not stand up for
severe whipping, but few cuts with birch
rod is worth all the suspensions and moral
suasion that the world ever saw. You rob 4
teacher of the only sway he possesses over
the minds of certain class of children.
Who are these? The clever, who are too
indolent to study.
EFFECT OF OTHER METHODS.
It is a numerous class, and the only way
to deal with it is by whipping. If you put
one of these mischievous genuises out on the
school-room floor, he will make faces at you
behind your back, sketch caricatures of your
figure, and keep the rest of the children in
continual delight and admiration. The
effects of expulsion are the worst of all.
Expel boy and his chances in life-unless
BY some lucky turn of the wheel of fate
are gone forever"
Principal Kratz, of Franklin School, was
next visited. He proved to be an opponent
of the birch. "I would wish that whipping
were abolished, he said. "As long as other
principals whip their pupils 1 must whip
mine, but assure you 1 do it as little as
possible. I always whip my pupils under
protest and tell them so. I believe that
this course makes the pupil respect himself
and his teacher. But how much greater
would this respect be were the whipping
abolished. For my part 1 approve Of send
ing children home. ] do not believe that
this mode of punishment has any evil effect.
1 have tried it very many times and found
the plan to work admirably. Locking up
children or any such tomfooleryI distinctly
oppose. 1 would not allow any such pun
ishment to be practiced in the Franklin
School,"
WHIPPING MUST GO.
Mr.. Bayne, of ST. Clair School, when
questioned on this subject replied very en-
phatically: "Whipping must go, sooner or
later" he said; "for the present let us have
as little of 1t as possible. Very rarely in
deed do 1 whip nv pupils. Sometimes I
find the threat of a whipping. the shadow of
the birch, useful corrective, but even this
/ hesitate to use.
"I am in favor of natural punishment. If
a boy does 4 wrong. he must be cut of from
the chances of doing like evil again. The
only thing is to tell him to take his books
and 60 home. If his parents come to me
and pledge themselves that he will behave
himself thereafter the boy can come back to
school. Suspension does not mean expul-
sion at all. Only yesterday teacher or
dered one of her pupils to change seats,
as she had been illicitly giving information
to the next pupil. The girl refused to do so.
1 was called in, and at once sent the girl
home. If her mother comes round and prom
ises an improvement, L will willingly take
have hardened that girls heart"
NATURE OF THE NEIGHBoRHooD.
Principal Burgoyne, of the Ralston
School, did not at all approve of corporal
punishment. "They have abolished it in the
army and navy" he said. "Why do they
keep it up among school children? Still,
must say that the nature of the neighbor-
hood in which the school is situated has a
=,
Did the same conditions exist in all districts
there would be little need of the rod. The
people in my district ask me to whip their
children.
"Yes; prefer a whipping to expulsion. 1
do little-a very little whipping. 1 never
whip for a first offense. Calling the offender
aside warn him OF the results which must
inevitably attend repetition of his fault.
keep a strict record of all such warnings, and
if the boys fall from grace again they get
whipped. It is all very we'll to ridicule
moral suasion; but, after all, moral suasion
has never had fair trial in our schools.
When 1t gets a fair trial am inclined to
think it will come out first. But l admit
there will always be few cases that moral
suasion cannot reform"
THE LADIES WOULDN'T TALK.
Miss Graham, of the Grant School, Prin-
cipal Park and other lady principals were
seen, but refused point blank to be inter
viewed. The unanimity of these pedagogues
of the gentler sex in refusing to give their
opinions on the rod was surprising. How
ever, the pilgrim considered that he had
got quite enough information from the
teachers, and turned to a new phase of his
search.
How about whipping as connected with |
health? To the Office of DR.. Thomas Shaw |
wended cur wandering acquaintance. |
Him." observed the co-heir of Esculapius |
want to know what think of whipping, |
eh? Well, have given very little thought |
fn the sn hiacf lie % hos ha