The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-11-26
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Corporal Punishment In Schools = a
Teacher Who Whips Her Boys.
The Degeneration of Variety.
Especial Correspondence.l


The question of corporal punishment
in schools has long been vexed one,
although in most sections of the coun-
try it has been decided that this form
of correction tends to degrade the child
without in any way tending to make
him more mindful of the regulations
which he may have violated In fact
it has been argued that the child, es-
pecially if he be boy and possessed OF
spirit, will at the earliest opportunity
seek to "get even" by again violating
the obnoxious rule which previously got
him into trouble. He is certain, how
ever, to do it in such manner that he
Is not likely to be detected, and thus his
craftiness or what might be better
termed his "sneakiness'' is developed.
No one will attempt to deny that this
is contamination devoutly (not) to
be wished and thus the opponents OF
corporal punishment find another argu-
ment at hand.
AS is we'll known, the schools OF this
city and Brooklyn were among the first
to abolish corporal punishment, and
there are at the present time very few
of tho large cities of the country where
it is permitted at all. The average New
York or Brooklyn teacher would no
more think of physically chastising
boy than he or she would think Of writ
ing a resignation and directing it to the
board of school commissioners. In effect
such conduct would be tantamount to
inviting dismissal. Still there is q
school principal in Brooklyn-a wom-
an, at that-who whips the boys in her
department.
She Whips Her Boys.
At any rate it is certain that she has
made no effort whatever to conceal the
fact from any one who may have had
the curiosity to inquire. AS was to be
expected, the Generalization. which is
always certain to follow upon subordi-
mates knowledge of the fact that their
superior is breaking the rules set down
by still higher authority for the guild
ance of all has broken out in this school,
and now several of tho teachers at least
are personally exemplifying their belief
in tho adage with reference to spelling
the child by sparing the rod A few
of the parents who have children who
have been or are apt to be punished in
tend to organize crusade which is to
be directed against this particular prin-
ciple primarily and against all violators
of the same law secoudarily. AS it is
alleged that there are many transgress-
ors in this respect and as the gentle
men interested declare that they are in
earnest and that as soon as their cam
paign is inaugurated they will have
hundreds if not thousands Of parents
with them, the outcome of the affair
will be looked for with a good deal Of
curiosity, if nothing more. All candi-
dates for school commissionerships who
are unwilling to pledge themselves I'M
equivocally to the enforcement of the
rule against corporal punishment will
be bitterly opposed for appointment to
the educational boards. At least that is
what the crusaders declare they wi i do.
The Degeneration Of Variety.
Maggie Cline, who is called by her.
self and a few of her admirers the
Irish nightingale, is displeased be-
cause the fact that she has not been
working at her profession lately has
been rather freely commented upon.
She recently gave the following expla-
nation to friend:
"Great Scott!' said Miss Cline.
Cant lady take little rest without
every one making remarks about it? Ev-
erybody meet comes up to me, looks
surprised and says: Why, Maggie,
why amt you working?' I'll tell you
why I'm not working. The variety pub
lie has degenerated. They've become
May Irwinized and Fay Templetonized.
They've lost their appreciation of good
old honest Irish songs. This craze for
niger songs has become regular black
plague. They've thrown down McClus-
ky in favor of All Coons Look Alike to
Me- and I Want You, My Honey 1t
amt right, and 1 don't like it.
"But never mind. Maggie can wait.
She's still got her stage jewels to live
on, and she can sit still and bide her
time until the popular taste gets lit
tie more whitewashed. Then the man.
ayers will be clamoring for Maggie with
both feet, and will they get her-oh,
will they?" Miss Cline settled herself
back in her chair authoritatively as she
made the remark and her lower jaw
hardened. "They'll get her good, and
she'll come higher than rubies, for the
Irish queen knows thing or two yet,
even if she won't sing, Il Want You,
Mahoney. :"
The Boy Bandit.
"Black Bill, the boy bandit of the
Bronx" the hero of lurid novel, grew
to be living reality in the youthful
mind of Charles Weber. Intimate as
ISOLATION with the bandit of fiction
aroused desire for more adventure
than is incident to the position of office
boy with doctor Answering a bell is
tiresome work to many boys. To Charles
Webber it was crushing burden. He
stood it until the other day, when Black
Bill, the boy bandit, took hypnotic con-
troll Of him. Then the boy ran suddenly
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