Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-02-19
BRArrLEBoRo, FRIDAY, FEB. 10, 1904.
The Question of School Discipline.


as a strong argument against the re-
sumption of corporal punishment in
the Brooklyn schools. that such pun
ishment is often inflicted in moments
of passion or irritation, lowering ir-
revocably respect of the pupils for the
teacher and weakening instead of
strengthening, the disciplinary status
Of the school.
The trouble with this argument is
that there is something back of the
question of whether we shall sanction
corporal punishment or not in our
schools, that primarily settles the mat
ter of discipline, and makes this argu-
ment worthless
The first necessity for a well gov
erned school is teacher who can con-
troll himself-who has his temper
well in hand and whose views of life
and of the importance of his profess
sion are broad and lofty enough to
make the pranks and moods of care
less or wilful pupils appear to him
what they really are, the trivial diff
cuties which are found in any work.
Such a teacher will command the res
pect of school anyway-rod or no
roland will hold any school in fair
obedience to his will. But he would
use the rod wisely and with discrim-
nation in those cases where it is abb
solutely needed-as he would use the
minor penalties or the reprimand and
It would do away with much of the
sly mischief and the yelled lawless-
ness to which the rising generation
is prone and which only stern meas
ures will subdue; and save much wear
and tear of the teachers nerve power.
to the great advantage of educational
results and the character of our com
ing citizens.
If a teacher can not control him
self--if he gives way to i'll nature be-
meath "the sings and arrows" of mis-
chievous pupils, he will lose the res
pect of his pupils anyway whether he
vent his vexation by means of blow,
imposed penalty Or scathing repri-
mand. and the discipline of the school
will suffer. Such a teacher is, of
course unfit to WELD the rod on flesh
and bIood-but he is likewise unfit to
teach school at all and shouldn't be
considered
The main point is to get suitable
teachers then give them full author
ity to enforce obedience to school laws;
hold them strictly accountable for a
just and impartial enforcement Of such
laws and let them understand that
giving way to anger means giving up !
their positions
Looking briefly at both sides of the
question 1t may be said that if teach
ers had more authority and knew how !
to use it, our boys and girls would be
more respectful, well hammered and |
intelligent and that more teachers
would be capable of using authority |
wisely if they were not nagged to the
brink of nervous prostration by unruly
pupils.
If a person can be trusted to teach
our children at ALL he or she can be
trusted to enforce obedience, even in
oytroyna rocac
The Tendency Of Literary Demand.
The claim of President Eliot that
the public taste for reading once es-
tablished, the standard of matter read
is sure to rise, is amply supported in Z
comparisons made of figures given by +
the Publishers Weekly of publications
made in this country in 1908 and 1886,
a basis in a period approximating 80
years.
The proportion of new fiction to his
tory published in 1903 was less than
two to one by margin of thirty vol
umes In 1886 the publications In his
tory new and reprinted numbered on
II 1872 to total of 1880 books of f1c-
ton.
Biographical works new in 1908 were
nearly half as many as the fiction vol {
umes. Books Of description, travel,
etc, were less than one-fourth as
numerous as the story books. In 1885
biography to fiction was as l to 7;
travellers descriptive, etc, about the (
like proportion.
A great deal more poetry and drama
was published last year than in 1902,
more than twice as much as in 1885.
Religious publications experienced a I
decided slump from 1902 to 1908. and
gained but little on 1886. There was
last year considerable advance in
the literature and collected works"
class. &
New books and new editions num-
bered 1855 as against 1888 issued In
1902 OF the new books, 816 ranked
with fiction: of the reprints, 644 In
1902 the figures were 1888 and 959.
Hon. c. j. Bell is now definitely an {