Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-15
PROPOSED ILLINOIS MEASURE
LEGlsLATURB NAY PASS DIlL Es-
TADLlsnlNG THEN.
AZ Corrective fer wife Beating aaa
Cruelty the Old whipping Post
Ii Eav0rably C0nsidered-
Colonel J. G. Green.
mans Views.

CHICAGO, March 1A-Whipping as .
means of punishment for wife beating.
highway robbery and cruelty to children
may soon be adopted in this state.
A bill providing for heroic treatment Of
criminals Of this class Is now being pre-.
pared by the Humane Society. In Chicago.
and probably will be introduced in the
legislature this week.
1t provides that persons convicted Of wife
beating, highway robbery. and cruelty to
children be punished by whipping. the LASH
es to be laid on by an officer Of the court.
at the direction Of the judge. The bill fur
ther provides for whipping as punishment
for juvenile offenders for any OF the crimes
for which boys are sent to the state re-
formatory under the present law. The bill
Is modelled after the English law. which
inflicts dogging on adults and "birching
on juveniles as punishment for certain Of
fenses.
The Humane Society, especially its pres
ident. John g. Shortali. has been consider
ing the matter for some time, but impetus
has been given the movement In the past
few days by the revolting case Of I. Berg
Elm, the foundryman, who burned MS I;I slGk
ing water on her bare feet.
'WhiI.ping as a means Of punishment for
w1 and to
onacer Greenman yesterday. Almost
daily cases Of extreme cruelty IN which z
wife is victim Of rum-cursed husband
are repOrtsd to the police and at times the
Humane Society has . half dozen OF more
aggravated cases under investigation.
such q law in Missouri as is sugge9ed IN
IN discussing the proposed Illinois measurs
can only do 80 In my personal capacity
and not as an official Of the Humane So
eet T. t.,% Is not for me to define the policy
question Of this kind. but az an Individual
such a measure would have my unqualified
Endorsement. For chronic wife beater
ishment inflicted upon him BY imprisonment
10 like two-edEed sword-it cuts both
ways. His family suffers while he IL do
Of cases where a husband could have been
cured nf his cruelty bent by q few well ap-
piled lashes on his back. and perhaps made
q good citizen OF. but the fear that the man
will be Imprisoned has caused many wives
to suffer on In silence, and offer prayers
Of thanksgiving because the treatment ac-
corded had not been worse.
There are other cases where q whipping
post would be Of benefit. I have one case
In mind. Some time ago had \ 1s-year-
old girl to look after. She had . baby at
her father was also responsible for the
babe. although at that time proof Of that
fact wis not In my possession. I said to
him: You are that baby's father and q
would like to see you there and I would
like to apply the LASH Some people may
think because I entertain such views that
I am not the right kind Of man for HUI
name agent, but II there are any such
can't help It, for the views have are hon.
II believe also In Furnishing incorriRible
children. II more attention were paid to
'birchtEg. as IT Is called by some. there
would-oa fewer tears shed by mothers; less
dren should be watched over carefully, but
they are given too much license Sy careless
parents who. when 1t IL too late. resort to
moral suaaon. Yes. the proposed Illinois
measure is all right. The experience I
have had in the Humane Society long since
convinced me that q good whipping would
DO proper corrective In many cases which
are now permitted to 20 unpunished''