The colored American., 1901-10-26

LATER addresses ltSeII Ill iii us IuIl-
ness TO most thoughtful mothers
rorDoral punishment-an since some
nf fhp ideas brought out may be help
ful 10 some mother or suggest a new
line of procedure when young hope
fuT" suddenly becomes "a young hand
fuI" requiring immediate attention Of
q salut0ry but sensible nature, we re
nroduce the line Of argument used.
Said one mother: 1T seems to me
that corporal punishment is absolute
" necessary sometimes"
The mother with four or five chill
drpn 10 look after. with a laundryman
at the front door and the grOceryman
at the back door and the butcher be
hind him hasn't the time to stop to
reason with her children.
II was Mrs +. 4. Weeks, President
of the Union, and prominent as a
worker in the Mothers Congress, who
answered this statement: IF the
mother" said she, has learned no
better way to control her children.
then | think corporal punishment
should be used but that does not
show that it is the correct punishment.
The mother should have obedience, no
matter what the cost; but l think
there are better ways than by whip
ping. Whipping a child on the hand
does not correct the lie that the child
tells nor yet does it teach that the lie
is wrong
That's a moral wrong" replied an
other mother but, suppose, Mrs.
Weeks. the child is one of these re
IL;
Experience of mankind has taught
that there shall be punishmentS for
miSdccds. The mother can secure i'm
mediate obedience by little whipping
sometimes. when all talking fails TO
reach the child" Mature doesn't
teach any such laws" replied Mrs.
Weeks. The mother who secures
obedience through corporal punish
ment secures it because she knows no
better way, [ would suggest to the
mother with the refractory child that
she batheS its hands in cold water
when it gets into one Of it's tantrums.
or wash its face or battle it all over
in cold water. Then | would talk to
itquieuy, Now, you're all hot and eX-
cited I'd say, and l want TO cool
telling the child. I'll whip you and
you've got TO do it >"
Another suggestion was to the eff
fect that when the mother sees the
child is about to have one of the much
dreaded ''tantrums" it is best to avert
by changing the channel Of thought.
Speaking of children who habitual-
Il prOcrastinate and put off their du-
Ties, Mrs. Z. Sherry Brown was ap-
pealed to, and in reply said: L would
not allow the child TO come 10 the ia
Die until the duties were all per-
formed, no matter how long it might
jake. Let the child eat alone once
OF twice. and | don't think it Wis for
get very soon. | believe in whipping,
Inough, when a child needs it, Mrs.
weeks pronounced this suggestion ex-
cellent. It's a logical punishment
punishment that logically follows
the fault"
helatIye TO punishment and bearing
Id mind all that has recently been
written with reference to the crimt-
uaIitly OF the Negro, and the facts pro
Hhu con as we know them, it is well
IoF Us to give more attention TO thG
methods Of punishment and the ends
" De attained, by punishment, self
control and a high standard of moral
n.y. than has been given in the past
Inc complaint lodged against us by
Such writer's as Miss KellOr, in th'
arena for September, is that 'ther,
Htue or no evidence of the fine
moral Determinations, and the meth
ou Is training through punishment
IdIhtr than through wise direction
which avoids punishment"
MISS kellOr concludes her series 0