Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-28
THE WHIPPING POST
A STRONG OPINION AGAINST ITS
ADOPTION FOR WIFE BEATERS.
Brutality, Will Not Cure Brutality
Beaten Wives Would Not Send
Husbands to the Post.
From the New York Evening Journal.

From the New York Evening Journal
The world begins to hear echoes OF Mr..
Roosevelt-s whipping past suggestion.
A movement is on foot to establish the
whipping, post in Washington. Rather an
appropriate place-if the whipping post Is
to become national feature In the land OF
the free and the home of the brave.
But do we need whipping post? Is there
any general demand for lit
To guide the readers opinion We publish
on this gage. a photograph. of the whipping
post in operation. IA large illustration
showing an offender being whipped in pub
lie, presumably In delaware, accompanies
this teXt)
Do you like 1t? Is 1t calculated to show
the power of civilization? Is 1t an uplifting
spectacle for the little boys and idle men
| that look on while man screams and
writhes?
| Is this sort of thing a step forward-if so.
| why was the whipping post ever abolished?
| Why do the stocks longer decorate
each village? What has become of the
| ducking stool that used to calm the wives
| that talked too much?
Opinions of Clergymen.
| Some clergymen are ardent in support of
| Mr. Roosevelt's suggestion that wife beat
| ers should be beaten. One bishop and sew
eraI less important reverends demand the
whipping post with all speed for wife beat
ers and for other offenders.
The bishop wants wife beaters and those
who attempt assassina ton to be whipped
once year. He thinks it would hurt their
feelings.
Clergymen should be listened to always,
and with reverence. But even they make
mistakes, and sometimes they represent
the view of the majority, or of the indi-
vidual great man, rather than their own
views.
Most eloquent sermons were preached all
over this country in favor of slavery for
many years.
The clergy of a non-slave-holding state
rejected prayer book because it showed
slave in chains, among others kneeling
at the foot of the cross.
The artist was instructed to take out the
slave and make the picture moral Henry
Ward Beecher dealt ably with that Incl
dent.
The good clergymen who ask for the
whipping post probably never saw one
This picture-whch is feeble compared with
the sight of man flashing his fellow-man
the dashed one screaming and bleeding the
lasher as savage and brutal as the brute
he whips-may give the clergymen a DIFF
ferent view.
Brutality Will Not Cure.
To fine wife beater is ridiculous, of
course. To lock him up and leave his wife
and children Notwithstanding worry and
hunger to the wfe's beating-is idiocy. to
be sure.
But is there no alternative except to have
the state turn brute in its turn and initiate
the very brutality it is trying to correct?
Would you have the state official throw
Vitriol in the eyes of the vitriol thrower?
Would you have Jack the Ripper-if
caught-ripped up in his own style in the
| name of the people?
Put your wife beaten in jaiI-and for a
time Mako i'm,
from his work2give the wife money enough
to care for herself and children we'll while
the wife beater works. If his work does
rot produce enough pay her the money
anyhow Take 1t out of the drunkards
fines. Drunkenness and wife beating are
half brothers. :, Let the fines of the drunk
ard suppbSt tile family of the wife beater.
That will be justice, practical and poetic at
the same time
Hard work Will cure the brute. Brutality
will not cure A1m.
Women Would Not Tell.
Once we thought that Mr. Rocseyelt's
Office holding would not result in any per-
manent proof of great influence. That was
before he became President.
We have changed our mind. If he should
| succeed In making national feature of the
whipping post the country will always have
something to remember him by
They have the whipping post in China
they lash men through the streets. They
use the lash in all savage countries-and
civilization, as 1t progresses. has always
substituted other agencies for force or bru-
tality.
If that is all a mistake; If we ought to go
back to the club as a moral agent, it Is we'll
that the people should think it over at least
before making the change.
| Would you insist on clubbing the hus-
band. for instance IL the wife begged YOU
not to disgrace her children's father pub
licly2
Would you insist on adding to her suffer-
ing to ease your own noble sense of justice,
when you might do all that is necessary by
spending a little money--putting him away
from his club and his liberty. keeping her
from want, while he is learning his lesson?
Establish your whipping post and nine
women out Of ten-the best among them