The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-01-04
WHIPPING-POSTS AGAIN.
Efforts of Prominent New Workers
in This Direction
Such "A Law-To BE Employed Only
for Wife-Beaters and Brutal
Thugs

Such "A Law-To BE Employed Only
for Wife-Beaters and Brutal
Thugs
New York proposes to attempt to re-
vive the system of corporal punish
ment for certain classes of offenders.
At least certain people in New York,
led by Elbridge T. Gerry, Will try To
have the following made a law al the
next session Of the Legislature:
Whenever a male person shall be
convicted of felony consisting Of or
accompanied by the infiiction OF phys
zeal pain or suffering upon the person
of another, the court may. in its dis
erection. in addition To that penalty
now prescribed by law, impose an ad-
ditional sentence of corporal punish
ment to be inflicted upon the offender
in the prison to which he shall Toe sen
fenced. Such corporal punishment
shall be inflicted in private in said
prison, in the presence of the warden
and SUI geon thereof. who shall certify
the fact to the court wherein II was
imposed"
Commodore Gerry Is very much in
earnest in the matter. and in an inter
view with reporter for the New York
Recorder stoutly defended the plan on
the ground that it provided for the
only punishment that Is really feared
by the brutes that ii Is intended to
reach.
Crime" said he. of the more brutal
and fiendish character is frightfully ON
the increase. especially in the ease
where children of both sexes are the
victims. Instances in which lifelong
injuries have been inflicted ON girls
and boys of tender age are becoming
SO numerous that it Is time something
was done to strike at the very root of
evil. and l am sure the only weapon
that can be effectively used against the
brutes who. in their passions. exhibit
no thought or feeling for their victims
Is the lash
Once let the brutal element of the
community know that the pain and
suffering inflicted by them on others
will be meted out on their own bodies
and the shocking state of affairs now
existing viii be to a great extent
wiped out l am thankful to say that
the creatures responsible for the Of
fenses are foreigners The grade Of
crime against which the resolution i
aimed is peculiar To men from other
these wretches that they cannot in
dulge in such things in this continent
Is the crack and the sting of the lash.
1t has been erroneously stated that
wife-beaters are included among the
creatures against whom we are fight
ing. This l. not 50. We are only ad-
vocating the lash for felony committed
by men. Wife-beatcrs belong to an
e l.. v,-1,S.l, ,,,-.r- -
may not deserve ii good thraNhing.
They, however. do not enter into the
discussion. burglary with '-iclcnce. as
sauIt of any brutal nature-those are
the offenders who, l maintain. should
feel the sting of the lash. \ conviction
of twenty years, reduced 10y good be
havior To twelve, has no salutary effect
on the callous element with which l am
dealing.
..As an instance, you. law-ab biding.
peaceful citizen, are enjoying we'll
earned rest; a hardened brute OF a bur
glar, not satisfied with plumber. delib-
erately knocks you over the head, puts
your eye out. cruShcS III your skull,
mains YOU. beats You. and for this he
gets twenty years Is that any salts
faction to You? Do you get new eve
or another skull or clean skin? No.
Then | say let his punishment be pro-
portionate in some degree to the Of
fenSe.
Formerly crimes of which | specially
speak were punishable 10y death. But
experience showed that the class OF
people that commit these crimes of
personal violence don't dread death.
Nihilists. anarchists. atheists and the
AarrraIaI .1aSG..A la.af f1aa
Corporal punishment is the only thing
the scamps and rascals are afraid Of
A few years in prison doesn't have any
deterrent effect. a man comes out of
prison and he Immediately perpetrates
a similar crime. but il he understands
that he is going to get a dose OF that
which he inllictS on other people. ne
thinks twice before he runs the risk.
1t is nonsense to play the fool with
criminals and say that corporal punish
ment is degrading and revival of the
dark ages. Are the abuses inflicted on
little children degrading? Was there
anything in the dark ages more debas-
ing than the revolving acts which &C
cur to-day? There seems To be a mawlI
ish sensibility in the opposition To cor
poral punishment. 1t is the oldest
be found in the Mosaic law. There
can be nothing brutal in it. provided
yon don't make the exhibition public.
In Delaware they have a curious meth
od. y felon is sentenced to thirty
lasheS, fifteen of which are admins
tered. He is then told To get out Of the
state. and if he Is found there after the
lapse of a week the balance of the
thirty lashes awaits him The plan
works admirably.
Again. in London. when the CARROT
ers We're terrorizng the city. the cato
nine-tails was brought into play with
such effect that garroting was un-
known in very short space OF time
Would ! suggest any particular mode
of administering the punishment? No.
The ordinary lash on the back would
meet all requirements 1t il effective,
and if live long enough the advisable
ity of its legaliZation Will come before
the next session of the legislature