The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-23
CORPORALPUNISHMENT
Expressions of the JuntO Club
on the Subject.
TEACHERS MUST BE SUSTAINED
Children Should be Trained to Obe'
dience at Home by Parents
as of Old.

At the hast meeting of the Junto Clut
there were only three members present.
the others having gone to an evening
party. The three present were lawyer
professor and real estate agent-not nec-
essarily mentioned Ia the order OF theiI
Importance.
We'll" said the professor, "this cor
poral punishment question has had an
other trial in the courts, and the teacher
has been sustained In both cases. Prof
Adams, of Portland, was arrested for
over-punh5hLtng 9-year-old boy, and
Prof. Briggs, of Sbayton, has just been
arrested for thrasIhing an 18-year-old boy.
In both cases the evidence was conclu-
sive to show that the punishment was
more severe than the circumstances
would justify-amountin to almost cru
city In THE former caSe-and yet both de-
PENDANTS were acquitted. or course.
that is good for school teachers and will
contribute to the good management OF
the public schools, but l suppose the law
would be too rigid TO take such things
into consideration. 1t would have been
disastrous to the government OF schools
all over this state If the teachers in
these two cases had been convicted, for
not only would 1t have made nl-dsposed
teachers so careful tlhaIt they would lose
control of the schools A teacher can
do very little unless the law will sustain
him In his honest endeawor."
Honest endeavor, indeedl" interrupted
the real estate agent. II can't see the
honest endeavor in large mans beat ng
small boy numerically. Why doesn't
he take some one of his size. 1t is just
cowardly advantage Teacher takes,
on account of his size and position. He
wthltps the boy just because he can"
"Nonsensel Do you suppose a teacher
takes pleasure In whipping a boy? He
whips him because he has done wrong
and must be taught to do right, and not
because he Is small. Usually the whole
trouble lies in the home training. If a
boy is Taught 10 obey HE parents and
others in authority he will give no
trouble. If boy can't be taught obe-
dtence In any other way he must be
tausht it by corporal punishment"
But you might use moral suasion."
you never Taught school observe.
You can't find a successful teacher who
opposes corporal punishment, AMI l
doubt whether you can find parent
who hnls been successful in raising his
children who HAS not resorted TO the
use of the rod"
well, let that go, but how about the
law of the matter?"
1.-The law" said the legal member, "can
be summed up In few words. II there
Is a cause of punishment the law will
not find the teacher guilty OF assault
and battery. That Is, suppose the dis
obedience of THE pupil deserves ordinary
corporal punishment, "a jury will not con-
vbct a man of crime If the punishment Is
excessive, but df the teacher make a
mistake and Furnishes an innocent puph
or one whose physical condition Is known
to be weak-then the law will give him
no protection.
'In the cases that alave been tried re-
Gently the pupils were guilty of gross in
eubordination an inso!ence. They knew
they were doing wrong and openly defied
those appointed under the laws of this
state to have authority over them. The
law authorized punishment, does not
specify the nature or the amount, and
must sustain itself as well as the teacher
by IT'S decisions of cases arising under
the statute.
ITO convict a teacher of assault and
battery for excessive pun'e1ment would
be just as absurd as to lay a Judge Of
the circuit court liable for false imprison-
ment II he sentenced a man to a term In
the penitentlary longer than his offense
merited In eftlher case you would de-
feat the intention of the law. Cases IN
volving corporal punishment have bfen
decided IN the supreme courts of nearly
all Of the states. and there are only a
very few instances In which the teacher
was defeated. In these cases the evil
dence went to show that there should
have been no punishment at ALI"
"It any teacher ever wltps my boy I'll
fix him with shotgun, II not by law"
said the agent.
There, that Is just the trouble; par
ents talk that way before their children,
and that leads them TO do many things
they would not otherwise Now, when
1 was boy my father gave me TO un-
derstand that II 1 received pun'9Hment
at sshool I'd get more when I clme
home, and yoi may be sure / never was
whipped at school," said tine lawyer.
But It seems to me that in these days
Of enlightenment and progress we ought
to be able to govern children without the
use If rods"
Eyes, and In these days Of enlighten-
ment and progress doesn't 1t seem that
we ought to be able to govern without
prisons?"
That Is not a parallel case"
"Yes. II s."
"Men are whipped in the Oregon state
penitentiary. and severely. too"
the great trouble with teachers lie
that they whap-rot too hard. but too
OFTEN"
There is another consideration" sa'd
the lawyer. "H teachers are made liable
to a fine for assault and battery. very
soon you will find that no responsible
or capable person will accept such a po-
sftion. for school teaching Is dieagreeable
enough as II is. got THAR idea IN read
Ing Cooley's admirable treatise on Torts
several years ago. He was writing OF
the liability Of Judge, but his remarks
apply weA here"
The Professor-'T wish every parent
could teach school for just one day at
least"
The Real Estate Aeent-'T wish every