The record-union., 1896-07-21

Tor the membership roll, ana meanWnle
let it's directory take hold of local mat
tiers for betterment and progress with
spirit and that courage which will
quicken all the people to action and give
confidence and encouragement all
around. Sacramento has so much to do,
so much that needs to be DONE has so
many interests demanding special con-
Germ on the part of the public-spirited
citizens that just such an institution as
the chamber becomes a necessity to
growing city like this.
The chamber should be a forum for
calm, vigorous and interesting debate
and consultation. 1t must be made the
the needs of the city and county by cit
liens from the trades, the shops, the
stores, the Wharves, the banks, the Of
fees and the fields. 1t can be made the
most potential business influence in the
community. The simple question is,
Shall 1T be done, or shall we be content
with having made mere beginning?
There has been a deal of wasted SYM
pathy and false sentiment, in our opin-
ion over the case of alleged cruelty in
the Whittier School. From all we can
learn, from statements on both sides,
and the testimony taken, girl was pun
ished by being whipped over the shoul-
ders with a leather strap, wetted that it
should not break the skin. The girl re-
ceived ten stripes, and between each
take the next. She was not hurt, bruised
or SCARED, and her gain was probably
very slight, since she made no special
outcry. Boys who have been strapped
by fathers and schoolmasters prefer it
by far to the ferule or the whip. Those
OF us who recall youthful revolt and de-
served whippings, need not be told that
cruelty was Of necessity the accompani-
ment of ten-stripe lashing over the
shoulders with a strap in the hands of
a woman teacher who was cool and col
hatred or ill-feeling in the matter, but
was doing her duty in maintaining dis
cipline. The most of those sent to Whit
tier are there because they could not
be disciplined successfully at home. or
because they were persistent offenders
against the law, or because they were
maliciously mischievous, or because they
promised to become confirmed criminals.
This girl, over whom all the fuss has
been raised, was born in Chile, raised in
San Francisco, was twice committed to
use of tobacco and intoxicants, swore
roundly, and INDUCED in obscene Ian
guage. She became a waitress in a beer
joint frequented by lewd women, and
from that place was taken when she
was sent to Whittier. There she became
a leader in insubordination, violated
rules in the bathing-room, led younger
girls into mischief and insubordination
after repeated warnings, and then was
barred on the shoulders and strapped.
The teachers declare that 1t was either
that or surrender to the pupil, and that
in order to maintain discipline among
the pupils this girl, a born ringleader,
large and tall for her age, and physically
strong, was punished. Over the case a
good many salty tears have been shed
by some of our contemporaries on the
first statement of the case by one Of the
Directors, woman. We apprehend
that the trouble is just here, the woman
or the Board of Direction is out of place.
She herself says that she is at war with
the men Directors. They are not to her
liking, and as they approve the whip
ping of the girl there has been terri
BILE tempest in a teapot. The thing to do
is to leave the Directory of the Whittier
School to manage it until at least the
members are found to be heartless, and
to be consenting to cruelty and inhu-
nanity to the children.