The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-01-09

Sea ring Children Into Acquiescence.
Many parents resort to very questionable
and certainly dangerous expedents to
.coerce children into strict compliance with
their behests. The writer can remember
when at home that himself and companions
were wont to alude to the terrors that were
in store for us should we do anything or 20
anywhere prohibited by our parents In
these mutual sympathy" meetings it was
not uncommon to see boys shiver at the
thought of the dragon like. hydra headed
monster with blood stained carving knife
that was in wait for us should we make the
slightest false step. We have seen pale
sickly striplings of boys and girls so nerv-
GUS and terror stricken from the monstrous
ideas of retributive punishment parents had
instlled into them. by holding before them
these ''bugbears." that they trembled con-
tinually like ague-stricken patients.
That such method of gaining obedience
from children is barbarous and Injurious the
most straight-laced parents can hardly deny.
Were this habit confined entirely to very
ignorant parents there would be slight ex-
cuse for it. But it is almost as common
among highly educated people as with the
lower classes; and the child victims of these
goblin stories can be seen and distinguished
from other children by their super puerie
baShfulneSS and fear of strangers. to say
nothing OF the indeible impress that for
ever marks their cOuntenance, and which is
the heritage of the Labor saving" parents
who, rather than spend few moments at
times to gain the atfectionate love and con-
tidence of their children, resort to this
method of frightening children INTO ODE
dience.
Acts of this kind are in reality crimes
committed by parents against themselves,
their children and society in general. Chill
dren who are the victims of such parents
cannot grow up to be strong. healthy men
and women. They of course, in time, come
to see that such methods were imprOvised
by parents to reach a desired end by the
shortest possible route, but 1t is seldom that
the impression of ever-impending danger
which marked their childhood is entirely
Obliterated The sense of danger in itself
may be Outgrown, but the imprint of fear
that was the bane of the child in the forma-
tive period will remain and will mark its
every movement in after-life.
IL pdIeulS UeSlTo TO make Iull -neQgo0
criminals or semi-idiots of their children
they can adopt no better method than
this one of soaring children into compli-
ance. 1t we knew the genealogy of some
of those sleepy-lOoking, lifeless young men,
who will not or cannot work, it would in
many cases be found that they are the off
spring of labor saving" parents The
men and women who rear children on this
plan commit crime against themselves, in
that they are but storing up untold trouble
to blight their old age. And they commit
a crime against society by bringing up chill
dren who are incapable. on account of
harmful training, to properly fill the duties
of citizenship, and who usually become a
burden to the community in which they
live.
1t is the duty and should be the hope and
object OF all parents to rear their children
in such manner that they will be Joy to
them in old age instead of a weight upon
their palsied limbs as they enter the glOanl-
ing of LIES eventide; that they will be
worthy acquisitions to the grand army of
honest and honorable men and women,
rather than preying jackals upon their
felOwmen. And to rear children in this
way it is necessary that their every action
in childhood and youth shall be governed by
obedience that springs from parental love,
rather than from the automatic acuuies-
cence caused by soaring children half to
death. r.
Queer .Endicia1 UJfterancoS