Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-01
Moral sua.ion stu n Power.

Moral SunStOn Still Power.
Undoubtedly honest in their aggregated
belief that corporal punishment would re-
suit III lcoal diminution of wife-beating
and other offenses against the law COM
monty termed minor offenses," sixteen
members of the grand jury joined yester-
day in recommending the establishment.
in the District of Columbia, of whipping
pest. That the recommendation will be
endorsed by the Community is hardly prob
able; 1t savors OF an age long past, and Is
closely related to methods upon which
civilized people have been taught to look
with distaste. So long as the whipping
post was no nearer than Delaware it did
not seem to be such an extraordinary in
stitution. and 1t was possible to discuss.
with slight leanings in its favor, the
Gerry whipping-post law which passed the
New York state senate at the last session
OF New York's legisla ture, but when the
plan Is given local habitation there Is In 1t
something which Is Undoubtedly repug-
nant. We imagine that the Gerry bill
might be a good thing on Manhattan
Island, but we sincerely dislike even the
hint that Washington has within its
borders a number of INSIDERS so considera-
BILE as to call for the infliction Of a purely
physical penalty 1t is undoubtedly true
that there are here and elsewhere many
members of a class of criminals for whom
mere imprisonment or imprisonment at
hard labor have no terrors. and to dis
courage such as they some sort Of reform
in our penal system is undoubtedly neces-
sary, but earnest workers toward the high
est possible civilization will hesitate for a
long time before they will favor return
to the whipping-post. In a paper con-
tributed to the North American Review
last March, Mr.. Gerry endeavored to meet
the argument that the revival of the whip
ping-post Is degrading and barbarous by
the assertion that nothing Is more calcu-
lated to awaken In the criminal sense of
appreciation Of the enormity of the Of
tense than direct argument applied to
his person. That is probably true. but We
cannot admit that the conditions are hope
lessly beyond the reach Of education.
Wife-beating-which was the subject most
discussed by the grand jury-is largely, If
not entirely. product of overindulgence
In intoxicating liquors. and unless that
cause be removed there is not likely to be
any material change wrought in the effects,
no matter how the law and its officers may
er deavor to bring about reformation. Not
so very long ego wife-beating was very
common effense in England. but, in re-
spopse to influences such as the civiliza-
ton of today uses, the number of cases
known to the courts has steadily decreased
and we have no doubt that during that
same period betterment on that same line
has taken place in the United States. Con-
sistent devotion to the uplifting of man.
kind generally. with especial stress upon
the evils incident to and springing from
the unbridled consumption of spirituous
liquors, will soon, we believe put us upon
plane where there will be no occasion
for discussing the advisability of a rever-
sion to the whipping-post or any other an
tiquated form of punishment.