Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-05-12
PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN.
Parents Must Rcbuke. bur rhesv Are
Right aud Wrong Ways

Neouke. hut Thee0 Are
Right aud Wrong Ways
1.-THE Punishment of Children" was
the subject Of an address del vered
ny NJ. n. Mangasariau at Chicago be.
fore the Society OF Ethical Culture.
Paradise, said Mohammed. lies
at the feet OF parents We shall
never solve the perpleying problems
OF life until We know how to educate
children. II We save the cradle we
save the future. We save children,
We reap men and women. The home
Is a little mora empire. We can.
not have order without law. Law Is
void without some renalty Pain
and pleasure are the two educators Of
life. Pleasure developes the positive
virtues: the discipline of pain Is mega.
tive. Education Is a twisted chain
made OF these two teachers. JOY and
pain. 1t Is foolish to attempt to
make education stand only on one
foot
III the parents decline to use any
authority over their children, the
children will not hesitate to exer.
else authority over their parents.
We cannot live on equal terms with
our children. for while we may treat
them as our equals they will not
treat us US their equals but as their
interiors. A baby SIX months old
will tyrannize over every member Of
the family. Children brought up In
this way never learn the doctrine Of
equal rights. They become more
rigorous and despotc as they grow
older. When We command we must
command. and not merely suggest,
or pray, Or beg. We must never let
90 Of the hands OF our children. We
must never leave them to tight the
battle BY themselves Why do we
not forsake our young as the birds
forsake theirs? Is IL not our duty to
throw around them the shelte.ing
arms. to shine upon their path?
They are inpatient: we must balance
their patience with our patience.
They are tickle; we must be firm. 1t
does not follow from this that no
room must be given to them for the
Tree play Of their faculties It IL our
privilege to make the past q lum nous
page for them. The abuse Of punish.
ment IL more dangerous than the
greatest indulgence Its better not
70 punish at all than to punish too
tevstely. The Arguments In favor Of
corpQraI pdnis6m1ht ate Ingenious
but pot cQpyipcina, TSs nam &C.
c1i9ned by corporal punishment 10
Ths sfsst q Tie HoS isxot only
what the face shows; Z slnIi aeebSk.
In appealing 70 the mind We treat
ths child as q rational being. He is
made 10 submit TO reason, not to
might He can reason back, he can.
not strike back. We cannot whip q
child without q desire to hurt the
child. That is immoral. When we
show excitement We show signs OF
weakness The danger of corporal
punishment Is that we cannot ad.
minister IL without losing our head.
On the other hand the very act Of
appealing to the reason Of the child
makes US reasonable Treat the
child as q soldier to whom the word
.h0DQs' y the most sacred Of all
Words.
~ purpose OF punishment ls 10
provoke repentance, not only to make
the child do right, but to make him
love to do right. The desire 10 please
mamma or papa should not DO con.
founded with the duty to obey the
right For this reason we must act
not from humor but from principle.
There are certain punishments which
should be condemned. Shutting I'D
q child in dark room Is most in.
furious. morally AMI physi ally. It
spurs the imagination into the wild.
est, maddest fancies. Compelling
the child to taste or smell that which
Is biting or sickening, denying him
the necessary amount OF foUd, expos.
ing him to the inclemencies OF the
weather, Withdrawing from him for
too long . time the signs OF tender.
ness, are other forms Of injudiciOus
punishment The important point
Is TO punish his faults bv his virtues,
to make his lower self ashamed 10 the
presence OF his higher self, to strike
at his faults with his virtues, to
make the right In him, the good 10
him, the Judge o! the wrong, the
bad. This will make the discipline
Observation-Disclosures The best method
Is the method OF prevention. Keep
the child In the fresh air Give him
plenty Of exercise Keep him In good
health II you do not want to give
him madame