Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-05-20
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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

A0AeA
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The Washington Post heartily ap.
proves our own Governor Roosevelts
declaration that he should like to see
tn. whipping post revived for the pun
ish nent of wife beaters and the tor
tn er, OF children. The Post refers
to he instance Of Il brawny ruffian.
VII, was sentenced here the other day
TO wife beating, and who shook
his fist at the trembling and
sti bruised victim. as he was
led fro II the court, and said: "Wait
TIL | get ont, You -; I'll set.
tie with ,our' If a good whipping in
puolic would deter this wretch from
his meditatel brutality, we think few
would be disposed to oppose its being
administered. The objection made to
it is that it allows brutality in the OPP
Grafton of law. The Post agrees with
Governor Roosevelt that none of the
present penalties of the law meet such
cases. 1t says: There should be new
and more suitable punishments for
such tends as these. The existing
penal code has no terrors for
them Imprisonment is mere
training for the next bestial
orgy Disgrace is II word unknown
in their infamous vocabulary. What
they need is the lash. 1t is the only
thing they fear. II is the one agency
through which they can he made to
feel remorse. 1t presents the sole
possibility OF prote 'tion for the help
less and the innocent. Let those who
ave so concerned about the brutal
ity' and "barbnrism' OF the whipping
post INSPECT few victims of the wife
and child beater Let them consider
whether, in o der t. prevent one
"brutality,' they are justified in ell
couraging another and still worse
one.
The spendid pubic and private
charities whose activities fall as
benizon upon New York during the
beat of summer suggest IL serious
omission of which the city is guilty in
with cleanliness as next to godliness.
The city's free baths constitute an in
estimable blessing nearly four months
OF the year-not because it is posi-.
be to compel the very poor to be
clean, as cleanliness is understood
in modern hygiene. but because the
benefit obtained is allied with very
large degree of pleasure. There should
lie an equal extension of the free bath
system in winter; baths lequate in
number, and inviting because OF their
comfortable equipment. The city is
great enough and rich enough to
enter upon an enterprise of this sort,
and the popular response from the
poorest tenement districts would, we
doubt not, he ample and immediate.
1t is time We had plenty OF winter
baths where pleasure would 60 hand
in hand with duty. The resulting
benefit would be more than physical
it would be mental and moral as well.
A curious state of things exists in
the West Presbyterian church of Man
haitian. Rev. DIR. Anthony H. Evans
resigned his place as minister few
weeks ago because the trustees didn't
want him. He learned this in round
about way, through a letter from
friend, including letter from the
chairman of the church's board Of
trustees, asking the friend to persuade
Evans to resign because his ministry
was hurting the church in the way Of
money. But it appeared that the
membership OF the church were not Of
Perkins opinion, and so lie withdrew
his resignation. The latest step is
the resignation of the trustees in
Russell Sage in the list 1t may be
pretty confidently assumed that DR..
Evans is all right. Indeed, it is be.
lieved that the whole board of trustees
will be bounced at the annual election.
The sumptuous dinner proposed for
the reception of Admiral Dewey here,
for which 500 plate is talked Of,
would not be altogether a popular
affair for him If he were candidate
for the presil ileacy; yet it is fully
understood that he is not in any
such position, and if the rich men Of
this city are disposed to entertain
him thus it is their affair, and they
might spend their money in a worse
cause. He will have plenty Of well
comes on more moderate scale, and
with no doubt fully as much heart in
them. The people have g"eat desire
to see Dewey, and t, express their ap-
probation of the honor he has confer
red upon their nation. He is genu-
inc hero, and he is as genuine in his
modesty as he is in his valor.
Colonel Ingersoll, as counsel for the
widow of one of his admirers, has be-
gun suit in the courts here to break Q
will under which lie is one OF the bene.
ficaries. If he wins his case he loses
his legacy, and if he loses the legacy,
it will be by proving that his friend
aud would-be benefactor was of un-
sound mind. 1t is rather queer sort
of an undertaking for the great
agnOstic, but he seems to think it's all
right.
Croker set out for England without
telling the Mazet COMMITTEES how he got
it, but if the members of the commit
tee will keep careful watch on the
dispatches by cable this summer,
they can learn, what is perhaps equally
TO the purpose, how lie spends it.
Miss Helen Gould has bought Lynd-
hurst, the Gould country house in
Tarrytown, where she has lived and
held the property in trust under her
fathers will until every child should
come of age Frank Gould reached
| 21 last December.