The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-10-16
SPANKING A LOST ART.
The Good Old Form of Punishment Sinking
Into Forgotten Desuetude.

In the good old days when men
feared God and honored the king
spanking and the upgrowing of a child
were one and the same thing. Even
in the lesser far away days when the
grown reader who glances down this
column was bad little girl or boy he
can recall the influence of that curl
Gus form of punishment upon his
character. Taken all in all he will
admit that its direction was generally
for good, and yet he doesn't serve his
own children that way now, or ii he
does, he does so in a half hearted and
half ashamed way. We have fallen
upon days when custom and fashion
have decided spanking not to be good
form. There was a time when all Of
us believed with the French philos-
opher that "a boy is the most savage
OF all beasts" but all that was
very long ago and now we do
not even allow the tiniest bit of
corporal punishment in any OF our
schools, nor in our army or navy.
Nowhere is one person allowed to
strike, and this tendency to recognize
the sacredness of the person has pen
etrated into the family circle and one
is called upon to mourn or to rejoice
upon the passing of the spanking
habit. Just as the days of chivalry,
OF tournaments and of friendly jousts
have gone from us, so surely is the age
OF spanking going, and we see how
The old order changeth, yielding place to
new,
And God fulfils himself in many ways,
Lest one good custom should corrupt the
world.
Perhaps if the children were allowed
a voice in the matter the question as
to whether it is a "good custom"
might not be so authoritatively stated
but they, little darlings or villains, as
the case may be, must remain passive
True, they have voice in the matter
in hand, but it is usually only the un-
philosophical and reminiscent voice
of the "spankee." vociferous enough
at times, but lacking in that calm
Judgment which is needed to lend
authority to any earnest opinion.
Theirs is the voice of emotion rather
than that of intellect.
OF course, the writer, who has look
ed somewhat into the subject, does
not mean to say that the habit OF
spanking has entirely disappeared, for
the most casual observer, who keeps
his eyes open, not to speak of his ears,
knows better. But, like highway
robbery. and dueling and painting the
feminine face, it is diminishing in
volume and frequency. 1t is difficult
to gather statistics scientifically accu-
rate upon the subject, but little talk
among your married friends, oh,
reader of gentle dispositions! will sur
prise you by revealing how many of
them were spanked in their youth
and how very few now spank their
own offspring in turn. The old jokes
about the efficacy OF the slipper train
ing have lost their point, and for
many reasons. In rural districts the
conservative residents still adhere to
the famous old custom, but in the big
cities children sit down without pain
Here in New York few mothers wear
slippers indoors that come off easily,
and as for using the hand, lock at the
delicate patrician hands of the Broad
way shopper and say whether it could
do the spanking for a family and still
retain its shape. The idea is absurd.
Here in New York few strong
holds of this form OF posterior punish
ment still holds out. They are the
public institutions where orphans, in
corrigible or destitute children are
reared. That is one objection to be.
ing poor orphan child in this town
One is almost sure to be spanked.
In an investigation in court the other
day the manager of one of the largest
New York homes for children de-
clared that the favorite form of cor
rection employed is the old fashioned
system OF spanking. 1t eft no marks
upon the "spankee" and Yielded ia
vorable results. He said the institu-
tuition had tried various corrective
ard remedial agents during long
term OF years and none had proved as
satisfactory as this. He recommend
ed its general use, and, in the Ian
guage of the advertising agent, declares
that no family should be without it.
Quite reverse was the testimony of
the mother of eight we'll behaved and
delightfully."- hammered children. at is
not becoming in me-" she said, "to
boast of my children, but they GER
tainly are little ladies and gentlemen,
and l have never laid hand harshly
upon one of them. There is a GER
tain indignity about the form of pun
ishment known as spanking that
should never be put upon high.spir-
tied children. 1t debases their natures.
Civilized people are learning that
lesson, and the rod and the slipper