Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-05-14
Case of Corporal Punishment.

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whether punishment was excessive or not
A very nice and fortunate qualitica-
ton, not to say somewhat surprising
concession coming from one of pro-
fession habituated to thinking and act
ing upon the presumption that because
certain dictn. perhaps of unprofesslon-
ais. is law, it is both q Priori and
postfori right.
To make this point plaluol-it IS The
iuaraiuod habit ot lawyers 20 JUDGE tie
Brightness Of everything by the Law in
the case" while IN instances of crime
unamenablotohum law their notions
OF justice are as chaotic and incon-
elusive as those of the unschooled.
Hence, it is pleasure once il IA
long time to hear judge justify him
self in the act of administering a little
scolding in a case where, for some
reason. there was an erroneous demand
for discipline of good dlsciplinarian.
and tacitly lay the blame on law
which seems to be SO far inexplicit that
it "confdes to teachers Discretionary
powers concerning the infiiction Of
punishment"
Judge Hoffman assented to judge
Stakes view, though he weakened
somewhat the force of the law when he
affirmed that common sense" might
regulate compliance Herewith.
The poor disciplinarian came in for
it a little heavier. however, under
judge Hoffman, who apparently thinks
that of all men the teacher should have
been created little higher up than
Just "a little lower than the angels"
He should be, in fact, ga man of
sorrows" only, and grief his sole
confdante He should be a complete
ruler of his temper, although that
sovereignty might lose him the mastery
of his school. He that ''ruleth his own
spirit" may be ''greater than he that
taketh a city," but either might forfeit
his supremacy in a houseful of young
ruffians.
The evidence showed
1, A case of long, pugnacious and
dangerous defiance Of disciplinary
authority, and
2, THAT Mr.. Perdew's management
of the school was good, and discipline
was maintained, at some effort"
This conclusion follows-that Mr..
Perdew should have been not only
acquitted, but commended. He should
not have been charged with yielding
to bad temper superinduced by
''previous occurrence of three weeks
after the court had refused to hear
testimony showing the aggravating
character of that occurrence"
More than all, the word should have
gone out from the Bench to all Young
America that the ''discretion" Of the
teacher IS bounded only by whatever
is ind spensable to the establishment
and maintenance Of his authority;
that common sense is u Mentor who
not only authorizes limit t. man
festa,jons Of temper, but q, often com
mauds US to tight the devil with inc
that those obtrusircly and aIIeetiouate-
Iy foolish parent, Of embryonic out
laws need not with any hope OF sac
cess lily to tno Court with appeals TO
redress rcpresslons of deyit,ry, and
that tine autocracy of the schoo, prln
cipai is as ABSOLUTE IN his undiscipllned
jurisdiction as tina; of the judge inside
and outside that part of the courtroom
known as the erudite and obsequons
bar.
II is about time that the branch of
public service which naturally de-
mands the most intelligence, the most
scrutiny of qualifications, and evident
ly most responsibility to the greatest
number of diverse authorities, should
become exempt from those impeach
ments which weaken its efficiency if
they do not degrade its character.
1t is about time the teacher, always
presumably holding his place on ac-
count of his scholastic fitness and, per-
haps, long and successful experience,
should cease to be regarded as the only
officer owing his living to public pay
who is er oficio fool, villain or
brute.
1t is about time to emancipate him
from the alternating screenings of two
fires, occasioned by that fraud, "sus-
pension" or that more cowardly expe-
dent, "expulsion."
1t is high time to free him from the
humiliation of being called before
trustees to account like a mental for
his conduct at the behest of every Tom,
Dick and Harry, if he "suspends" a
pupil, or run INTO court by Tray,
Blanche and Sweetheart if he thrashes
one.
In conclusion, it is time each school
should be conducted by one respecta
bic, competent, impartial tutor, and
not by the warning whims, illiteracies
and malices of more or less than hun
bred conceited parental ignOmmii, hope
lessly mashed" on the cute heredities
of their ''devilishly sly" children.