St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-10-26
BOYS SHOULD BE BEATEN.
English Opinion That the Birch Should
Not Be Spared.

English Opinion That the Birch Should
Rot Be Spared.
The American ambassador, Mr..
Choate, is popular with the small boys
in these days, says the London Ex-
press. Little Jimmy and tiny Tommy
are ready to throw their hats in the
air and utter as many cheers as the
American Representative would caret to
listen to, Mr.. Choate's name being
the text Of their enthusiasm. Mr..
Choate, dealing out prizes at the Uni
Versity College school, also distribut-
ing the opinion that corporal punish
ment is all wrong, and that the birch
| and the cane should be broken into
smithereens, and the smithereens
thrown into the great elsewhere.
At this particular school the pu-
| pills are never beaten. The spectacle
Of a master working himself up into
a rage, and, stick in hand, chasing a
Wretched boy, does not occur in the
Gowerstreetseatof learning, although
the sight is not obsolete as to the
whole Of England's schools.
The method at the University Col
lege school is one Of moral sua-
sion. The youth who refuses to learn
or who behaves in a disorderly man
ner is sent IN awful state to the room
Of the headmaster or Of his assistant
and there lectured for his shortcom-
ings. They have, or had, a system Of
an appearing book" This is sent
for and brought in in the most SOL
emn state. In the presence of the
whole class the name Of the culprit
and an account of his misdeeds are
entered. Later he is arraigned for
grim trial.
Many boys would prefer to be
seized and whacked and have it over,
but it is found, so the school author
tiles allege, that moral suasion is more
effective in reforming them. Mr..
Choate comes from a country where
in theory the person Of the indiYid-
ual is regarded as SO sacred that the
small boy is not trounced with birch.
Many people who have had dealings
with the American small boy attrib-
ute his bad manners, his freshness
and his offensiYeness, to this very
fact.
Experts in the matter tell us that
it is impossible to develop boy with
cut certain allowance of cane. Old,
maids and old bachelors believe that
boy can be governed by standing
him in corner depriving him Of his.
bread and jam. This statement the
aforesaid experts greet with an in
credulous guffaW. It is hardly likely
that Mr.. Choate was ever confronted
with the irritating situation Of a
small boy making a grimace at him
and diving under the table. # he
had been SO confronted he would have
found it more easy to rout him out
Of his hiding place with vigorously
used broomstick than to extract him
with the honeyed words which he
uses 50 well in diplomacy.
Papas who know what they aretalk-
ing about say that the moral suasion
plan is a success with little girls.
These should never be slapped. They
are more sensitive and refined by ma
ture than the hobbledehoY young
male, and they respond more readily
to appeals to their intellect. For the
present il. is likely that the British
parent will not dispose Of the penny
cane or Of the 1ath. This implement
used by builders in the construction
Of ceilings is cheaper than bamboo.
and is very effective article.
A boy Of 13, tradition says, can
not be managed by a woman at all.
This is because the woman employs
the arguments Of diplomacy, like Mr.
Choate. A man has no difficulty in
persuading the very small boy to do
as he directs. That is because the
man reaches for cane The golden
days Of which Mr.. Choate talks when
the lion will lie down by The lamb,
when small boys will not need cor
poral punishment, and when the rob
ms will nest again, are very pretty
daysindeed, but experts assure us they
are not yet here.
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