The sun., 1895-03-03
HE FAYORs THE WHIPPING POST.
Police Surgeon Nammack Thinks Ht the
Best Corrective for Certain Crimes.

| Police Surgeon Nammack Thinks IL the
| Best Corrective for Certain Cri.aes.
| The public sentiment in favor Of whipping as
a means OF punishment for felonies which in
volve injuries to person 10 constantly increasing.
| In advising tho enactment Of the law now pend
| ing at Albany, physicians are ssconding the
Judges Of the courts, whoss opinions were printed
in THE Sun last Sunday. In the Medical Record
Of this week DR.. Charles E. Nammack, one Of
the police surgeons, has q letter on the subject.
| Here are some extracts from the letter:
IF the records of police station houses, or the
court proceedings and examinations OF police
| magistrates. could be opened to the public. sem
| timentalists would soon find reason to change
their views regarding the necessity for corporal
| punishment for certain crimes. But public
decency forbids the newspaper publication Of
the facts. A professional and Official perence
OF many years in tho downtown district east OF
| the Bowsry and extending to the East River
has convinced the writer that the prevalent
methods of punishment for the crimes alluded
TO are notoriously inadequate. The population
of this district is largely made up of foreign
ers of tho lowest classes of Continental Europe
with the addition OF many Cinnamon. and the
crimes and attempted crimes against the per-
sons OF children by these degraded wretches
revolving In the extreme. Instances coming un-
der my personal knowledge might easily he
multiplied. but their recital would only fill sen
sitve and unsullied minds with horror and dis
gust. But as physicians and sociologists the
question that concerns US is the famous one:
What are you going to do about itf
"WhRt would be thought of the surgeon who,
discovering a malignant sxcrescence on the
body of . patient. would hastcn TO conceal 1t un-
der the immaculate folds OF q white bandage
lest It offend the public eye. and neglect to ap-
ply thoroughly the erndicating knife. oven at
the risk that some squeamish onlooker might
faint at the sight Of hloOdI Yet there is n
cial cancer threatening the lives and purity OF
those children whose parents, by forcc of pow
erty or other circumstances, are compelled 10
where morality Is an unkn0wn quantity 10 The
hundreds OF criminal outcasts from other lands
70 whom this country opens Its hospitabp
The writer does not share the cony!otion ofk
recent accomplished writer in the MsolirGi RE-
ori that we are daily becoming more degener-
ate, hut he mas daily brought tohis mind The
IsGt that nn9rdled passion ana lust @ are SUI AS
years ago, when Aristotle wrote that the multi
tpde obey on compulsion rather than on prlna-
pie, ana from lear OF pains ana penalties rather
than from sense OF right.
AN able, writer says. The one preventive
Is TO append TO that deed punishment, the I'M
age of which viii also enter Into the mind, excite
horror, aud dlsenchant the recipient ,Of what
ill-hOuscd lORfer from the streets fGr time. and
ensconco him among the comforts of modern
meals, and safe shelter from Indictment weather.
Is such punishment medicinal deterrent. or
eG6HtiUs hHd S1t recent nli;Iss1G At tho
geston that conYiCts DO employed in ornament
ing their cell walls and embrOiderius their own
garments In order to awaken love OF the beau
tlul.
III is alleged that corporal punishment de-
prlvos man OF one Of his COERentnl and ina.en-
able rights, to wit personal dignity. But every
right has corresponding duty, and the correl-
Rt.ve duties OF the right 10 personal dignity are
sODriety and chastity, duties which bind always
and for always. What can further degrade .
man who has sunk low enough 10 commit a
crime against nature? lie hath matched hinl-
sell with ssnseless beasts and beCOme ke unto
them AOes not titly describe him. tie has gone
lower than ever beast was known To go. Let
those who think the picture is ,nyerdrHwn OK
anime for themselves the conditions existing
among certain people OF this city. never alluded
TO iq polite society. The pages Of suetonius are
every day even and especially ip the
called Intelligent and educated classes,
DR.. Nammack concludes that corpOyal pun
ishment or the fear OF IL may yet prove ths only
rl'i"-r rDir 'asr ~ - cl,srktpF fhFcrNs'