The Savannah morning news., 1900-11-22
Local FOreca,i omeiai
corporal Punlshment Defended"
Nlcksburg AIis sing


Such Is the heading Of an editorial IN
the esteemed News OF Nov 10 do not
understand that the editor defends. or ap-
proves. his attitude is that OF inquiry,
This Is wise aud we'll oAly .et the inquiry
30 on so we may learn what is true in
the premises.
Judge Baldwin OF ;he Supreme Court Of
Connecticut approves. we are not inform
"a as 10 the attitude OF his associates:
this we may learn later. for the present
il is one opinion against the majority.
must believe that the editor OF my
favorte paper does not approve but that
be wishes 70 open discussion. 50 that
We may learn just what il best,
The people 81. Savannah have taken the
lead Of nearly all other Southern cities
in discarding from their public schools"
any resort 10 corporal punishment This
has been in successful working for more
than a dozen years We may therefore
cheerfuly abide the verdict Of your own
city. after the evidence Is all In,
The unknown. or rather the uudeclarcd
defender Of a return 10 past day methods
Ia dealing with crime and criminals does
not propose that the restored whipping
post shah be public but the application
shall be Ia private. 30 as not TO destroy
tho recipients self-respect." So much OF
Difference "a made 10 modern culture. moth
INK Is snid OF any loss OF self.respect by
the keeper who performs this ignob.o ser
vice Doubtless there is little prospect OF
such loss
Modern 'pcnology'' is demonstra ting the
truth that IN the heart OF every criminal
there Is chord which responds 90 the
touch Of human sympathy ana Kindness.
This declaration Is made by one VINO has
studied modern methods and who speaks
as an expert There Is no such being a.
an incorrigihle criminal
In the best conducted prisons the idea
Of retaliation" Is put FAR away. The
nrst need is the protection OF society. and
this Is intimately connected With the ef-
fort TO reform the criminal. the TWO must
become inseparabie
Under this practice 10 one penal insti-
tuition something more than o nar cent
Of tho inmates have been returned 20 so-
ciety reclaimed. In another the propor-
ton Is much larger We need To remember
that the system under discussion has nor
passed beyond the experimental STAGE
Another generation will demonstrate its
value II We consent to avoid rctrogres-
sion,
The whipping post" existed before tho
tragedy on calvary. What Is its effect p
lis record should be made known
The effect Of brutal methods ia dealing
with crime IS 10 SIN farther brutallze
Caesar could hardly be termed a hu-
h.hhl'atlan yet heater capturing a band
or desperate pirates instead OF naiIlne
them TO crosses 70 die a lingering death
by torture. as was the Gus ;om. andinr they
MA engaged Ia piracy as their only mean.
n suhsis encc. pardoued and gave them
farms SO they became good and iaW-obid-
nS citizens Your editorial suggests that
youths be admouishci by the magistrata
and then given "A sound iogglng by a court
official" you do not cay who Is to csrr,
the work Of reform TO its consumma.
tiou.
Again you say "the idea OF corporal pun.
i1hmcnt is repulsivc 10 most persons who
have given TIE matter any thought" So
much is essentially and concretely true.
You ask; Has society not gone too FAR in
Us humanitarian regard for the crimi-
uulf Those q us familiar with the rec
ord OF Georgia convict camps can read
lly reply Ia the negative. others viii b..
benefited hy diliRcnt inquiry into home
ard foreign methods! II YOU viii only in.
VIE % symposium. ! am confident good
results VIII follow! The same issue Of thc
News contains an account u the treat
ment Of criminal In Colorado there does
rot seem 60 be defense or any defender.
our only consolation being Il was not a
southern outrage"
Modern penology Is beginning the work
~ reform ana its movement viii be for
ward. and not a backward one
II g. neither possible or ln any way do
siTahle that society should descend 20 the
lowell Of the criminal. but it is Imperative
that the criminal should be- lifted up and
So far as q may De done, reformed. this
can never De accomplished bv dahasinp
rms Of punishment which work ovH Tor
ali concerned. The system OF punishment;
Icy nogEing and other denominations ls as
lld ls human history. 1t Us time 20 look
forward and not back. Il any permanent
good Is TO be our portion
William Riley Boyd
CITY BRENITIES.