Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1900-10-11
Shielding from Punishment.

penalty of nature for violation no
only of natural law, but of precep
his sympathlzing relatives naturally
try to shield him from punishment
or at least to alleviate his sufferings
They are justified in doing so. tol
the punishments inflicted by the law:
Of nature take no account whatever
of extenuating circumstances ant
are usually extremely severe. CaPl
tai punishment is sometimes lnhlclee
for mere playing with fire.
The eating of unripe fruit in 'g
norauce OF its effects brings Oh grea
pain and exhausting sickness. Ma
ture makes no allowance for lgno
rance, thoughtlessness or repentance
and her victims excite the sympathy
not only of those endeared to them
but of humanity in general. Mer
build a town on flats liable 10 be sub
merged, and when the food comes {
.nstiou. rises,ta-rsSsxs tReH92t9 e
In individGs csses such sympathy!
sometimes defeats its purpose. a
young man commits a folly; he il
in danger Of such disgrace az may
wreck his career. His relatives ant
friends get together to save him nnC
make great sacrifices that he may Dt
saved from the natural consequence:
Of his wrongdoing. They hope tina
this will be ga Lesson TO him.
Sometimes it is, and that IL the eX
cuse for such interference with ma
tural laws.
More often it gives him the ides
that he can continue 10 do wrong
and that his indulgent parents OF
friends will shield him from punish
ment. What, sthen, is orc to do:
Shall we sternly permit natural OF
statute law take itsseQurse in al
cases, relying upon the principle that
the burned child breads the fire, or
shall we try to avert tReAeonse'
quences Of wrongdoing and give the
cuIprit another chance?
IF repentant spirit is shown there
is no doubt about whatshould be done,
and even in the absence Of any posi-
tive proof of repentance at least one
more chance should be given the
wGongdOer. But it is a great mis-
take to continue for too long time
protecting young men audi young
women from the consequences or
their misdeeds. They come eventu'
ally to believe that they Will al
ways be shielded and protected, and
hence have no incentive to reform.
Nearly all Of us can recall in
stances in which II young man has
gone wrong "in spite Of every eff
fort made to help him." and if we
examine into the matter wo shall
fluid that these efforts were mis-
directed. They were confined TO
means intended to shield him from
more especially the
of exposure. They can
properly be employed once or even
twice, but never for third time
without mischief. Just aS the natu.
raj result Of punishment il to warn
the Culprit against second otcnSe,
the natural consequence Of immu.
nifty from punishment is TO make
him reckless. When for the first
time relieved By exterior agencies he
may recognize that punishment was
avertcd only through the help Of re-
latives or friends, hut when these
agencies are repeatedly employed he
begins to rely upon them. 1t is quite
safe to give anyone who gues wrong
one chance to reform there are cir
under which a second
lapse may TO forgiven, but beyond
that tho chances are that relief from
which, Of course, in.
cludes exposure, will simply en-
courage wrongdoing.- baltimore
.SsM.
MOsCOw's CANNON AND BELL:
As whole Moscow is like nothing
but MOsc0w-a city apart, exempt
from comparison, beyond descrip.
ton. 4 Russian wit has said that it
is remarkable for two things-a cam
non which has never been fired and
q bell which has never been tolled.
And these are perhaps the two mnat
striking objects. On the way
through the Kremlin, which is, Of
course, or rather was, great fortress
surrounded hy walls mile and e
half long, you pass in the arsenal
ward an enormous quantity Of bronze
cannon neatly disposed in groups.
Towering above them is the Gear
Cannon" n huge and highly deco.
rated piece OF bright green hronz",
weighing 10 tons, with bore Of Is
inches. cast in lS5G. 1t is merely
decorative, for Il hatfuI Of powder
would blow it to bits. \ hunured
Yards farther on is colossal bell IN
the ground, weighing 200 tons
While it was being raised to the
tower in 1877 it was broken, ard the
ll-ton piece knocked out Of it Ilrs
by its side. These cannon REMIND
me Of significant little incident,
AS everybody knows. Napoleon
brought 500 cannon into Russia with
him, and took nine out again. OF
the remainder 3G5 are here, together
with many more from Austria and
Prussia and Italy and other enemies
IN a glass frame is brass tablet
telling this proud story. We stop
ped to read ia party Of four, IN
GLIDING q guide-whpn instantly 2
sentry ran up with fixed bayone'
and sharply ordered Us to move on
Gatherings in the street are not per
mitted in Russia. He was, Of course,
an ignorant man, too ZealousIy
executing orders he did not under
stand, but the incident tells its story
There is also something peculiarly
absurd in visitors being forbidden tc
read a tablet set up in a public place
to tell OF Russian victories.-He'lr5
Norman, in the London Chronicle.
cocr1C RET.-A Portland