The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-03-07
BILL ARP VS.. DIR. HoLDERBY.
MORAL TRAINING AND COR
pORAL PUNISHMENT

thought that the school system was
settled and the people had all aCQuiesc
ed Some OF us antquatcd men and wo.
men rcbClled for while, for we were
welded to the ways OF our fathers, but
we had to fall into line and be recon
Cilcd to what we could not help. The
world was against Us Prussia France,
Germany and New England where ell
the development comes from. Still
some OF us felt that it was hard and
unj Just TO be taxed for the education OF
other peoples children when we had
already paid for our own under the old
plan. la the old country the young
men have to pay it back in military
service.
But every now and then som eboG Y
| raises u rumpus and abuses the whole
thing the mode Of tcaching-the eX-
clusiOn Of the Bible and morning pray
ers, and the inlliction Of corporal pun.
| ishment.
If had my way would reform some
| things, but | am only one man, and
| there are many men OF many minds. |
would give the Bible place il it drove
out the children OF every dissentcr in
the land not place to be taught as u
| study, or for sCCLarian doctrines, but a
| place to be read at the opening Of the
exercises and TO be respected as the
oracle of God. This is "a Christian couu-
try aud we base all law and legislation
upon the Bible: every officer Of the law
is sworn upon it from the President
down TO Is petty constable, including
| the judges OF the Supreme Court aud
all the other courts, the members OF
Congress and all Of the Legislators
Congress has its chaplain and all bow
in reverence TO the morning PRAYER
So has the House and Senate Of GeOr-
gia, and yet there are always one or
more members who arc Jews or infidels
on agnOs tics. Judah, Benjamin and
David Yulce were United States Scna-
tors aud they were great and good men
Of the Hebrew faith, and always bowed
their heads revercntly to the blind
chaplaiu's prayer Major r. j. Moses,
u distinguished jew Of Columbus, was
the speaker OF our Georgia uousc in
1866, and with his gavel sOlGmnly called
the members to their feet when the
Chaplain stretched forth his hands TO
Heaven. Our Governor is not q mem.
ber Of any church. but had to confess
his faith in the Bible when he was
sworn into Oilicc.
Then, If all these great and learned
men who represent this government,
both S.3tc and national, do not hCSi-
tate TO honor tho sacred book what is
public schools? Are they to have 20
moral training no reverence for the
word OF God? Is there "a college in
Georgia that does not open every days
exercises with morning prayer? Then
why this immunity to childrcn-this
locking out the Bible and its code OF
morals that the ages have sanctioned ?
What means the observance Of the Sab
bath and the sound OF the church going
bells What means all the mighty eI-
fOrLs OF our people to send the Bible TO
the hcathcn, and through our mission
aries to ChristianiZe the world ? What
is there peculiar to our children that
they shall not be taught anything sa.
cred The very secluSOn OF the Bible
casts a shadow OF doubt and uncertain.
ty upon its truth and added to this
comes ever and anon the attacks OF
such men rs lngcrsOll and a bbott and
Mitchell, who seek to knock out one by
one the pillars Of the sacred volume.
Bat the reply IS that these disseutcrs
are taxed to support the schools, and
their religious convictions must be re-
spcctcd Their convictions are not re-
spectcd in any other department OF
public policy. They cant work on the
Sabbath nor can their children play
ball or hunt or fr0lic. Every letter
that is written in their business or
their families have Il date of 1900
which means 1900 Ammo DOmini. But
fOrocur. | am only one man, and
have 40 hackers save perhaps DR.. Elol-
derby. With him agree that far, but
never was more surprised than to
read his vehement philippe against cor
p)ral punishment. Il ,thcr he or is
crank upon that subject. And he is u
minister, and supposed would have
been guided by the wisdom OF Moses
and solomon. His Indignation at the
thought OF somebody else whipping his
child is very great. He Is very EN-
phatic and almost belligerent. Ii the
teacher was man and should, as he
says, "lay the weight Of his finger upon
his child" | believe he would tight. II
the teacher was d woman | don't know
what he would do But | will say that
if | was the teacher his childIcn should
cnt come to my school at all. would
re jecL them at the start for the tirst
thing child should be taught is ohe-
dience. and il the child has already
been taught at home that no punish
ment is to follow disobedience, but de-
tiancc, rather, then tho child should not
come to me.
But the good doctor need not be
alarmed, for his children will never be
my pupils-thank the Lord.
| DcllcNc In COrpOFSI punishment IN
schools, that is, for bad boys. never
saw but one girl whipped and she de-
served it She was no spring chicken,
either. was raised on corporal pun.
ishment, both at home and al school.
| did not get it often, but at long inter
walls, but | got IL when forbearancc had
ceased TO be virtue, and IL was ad
ministcred like medicine and was al
ways good cathartic.
Il this was ell wrong and made me
worse Instead OF better and hum lated
my pride, as the doctor says, then
must consider myself an injured person,
and hire q lawyer to sue some body for
| damages for Blackstone says there is
no wrong without remedy. But my
teachers are all dead and they were
all dead broke before they died, as all
teachers are. So, | have no remedy.
Now, of course, there are children who
never need punishment either at home
or at school-preachers children and
some mild-eyed Jerseys who are good
constitutonally. Most all girls are that
way, bless their hearts, but original
sin is developed early Ia most boys,
and II not restrained grows into moral
turpitudc and ends In total depravity
ana the chaingang O.d Eli got his
neck broken for not restraining his