Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-17
THE WHIpplNG-pOST AND pILLoRy


Editor The Gazette: Will not thu
Constitutional Convention now assembl.
cd abolish at once and for all time those
cruel, disgraceful and demoralizing
relics nf a former and less enlightened
age the whipping. post and pilloryY 1
know it Ia considered almost disloyaltv
to criticise adversely these institutions.
and the above language may seem
strong and hetorodox, coming from a
native born and dyed in the wool''
Delawaresn like the writer. / formerly
defended tho whipping post and pill
Tory but long since the arguments
stuck in my throat, because / could
not believe in thom, and since then
have been silent. am sure that this
has been the experience of many others.
Now ia the elmo for all those who do
not believe in this mode of punishment
to speak out, because it is tho province
of the Constitutional Convention to
deal with Just such matters. 1t has
become an instruction and the Legisla.
ture would hesitate to make such a
radical change in our system.
cannot believe that the convention,
composed as il is Of our most humane and
intelligent men, men who are in touch
with the latest developments in civiliza-
tion, can fail to wipe out this thing
that has come down from the unen-
ligbtened ages. Four or five years ago,
when the old pillory and whipping post
was removed and new one erected
wideawake Snowman saw his oppor-
tunity to make money by exhibiting
the old instrument at the Columbian
Exhibition and purchased it for that
purpose. 1t will be remembered how
the officials and community generally
were almost thrown into panic when
the object OF the purchase was dis
covered, and extreme measures were
taken to prevent the proposed scheme.
Shame at the thought of this exhibi-
tion to the world produced the frantic
interest in the incident. Ought we
to tolerate thing we are ashamed of?
Its popu larity, If such an expression
is correct. is waning. as shown by
legislation from time to time--first, by
the exemption of women from whipping
except in cases of murder in tho second
| degree; and, in 1875 or 1877, by the ex-
emption of women in all cases; then by
| the comparatively recent act authoriz-
ing the court to remit the whipping in
cases recommended by the Jury, and
| in certain other cases. 1t is also shown
by the frequent and increasing number
of cases in which the Governor is ap-
| peaed to to remit ii.
On behalf of this system of punish
ment it is argued that it is prsventa-
| tive of crime. A comparison of the
population of our lais with those of
counties in adjoining States will dis
| prove this. 1t is said to be an economi-
cal mode of punishment. as not necesai-
tating penitentiaries or work houses
We impose imprisonment in all cases
now, and with change it will not be
necessary to increase the terms, and
with them the expense, but little, if
any, to equalize such terms of inn
prisonment with those for like crimes
In other States. 1t is the general be-
| lief that ono who has been whipped
once is deferred from the further COM
mission of crime, and that one is rarely,
it ever, whipped second time. The
prison record dispels this delusion.
| There have been many cases of more
than one whipping inflicted on the
same victim.
1t is natural that a man of sensibility
once whipped is' disgraced to the ex-
tent OF becoming callous in his feelings
| toward his fellowmen, and the ten
dency is to make him an enemy to
mankind, rather than to reform him.
The world progresses in humanity as in
other things During the last century
men were hung for what are now con.
sidered comparatively trifling offences.
The records in the Court House show
that about 225 years ago an unhappy
mother of bastard child was, by the
judgment of the court. whipped with
20 lashes ut the gate of the town Of
New Castle. Think of it! For an
offence which in itsolf had brought
untold misery, she was dashed. That
treatment seems to- uH now horribly
brutal, but it was tolerated in that ago
and doubtless had many valiant do
tenders. We may fancy that those who
had prickings of conscience were recon-
ciled by tho thought that the disgrace
would drive the poor victim out among
the Indians, or, possibly, to the colony
of New Amsterdam. and so relieve the
community from the support of the
bastard. Such unworthy motives some-
times influence men to Just such
actions.
Now and then, but rarely, we hear
the suggestions in other States of
establishing the whipping post as
punishment for certain revolving
crimes, generally wife-beating We
/ do not whip for wife- beating. In the
other old States whipping has been
abolished and it is safe to say il has
gone to stay. In barbaric and half
civilized nations it still exists. Tho
knout is heard of in Persia. and the
bastinado in Turkey, and in the same
countries the bleeding heads of those
executed by killing are hung up In the
view Of tine pUpulace. Our executions
are in private, but We do hold up TO tine
view Of the public the bare flesh of
breathing men. quivering under the
lash of the laws agent.
Our little State is tho fairest spot on
Gods earth. 1t has proud history
Don't let the rising sun of the TWEEN
tieth century shine upon this one blot
on its fair fame.
Thomas Holcomb.
na,an,ba. OtL 1oor