Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-12-27
| THE WHIPPING POST
NATIONAL CAPITAL MAY ADOPT
1T TO PUNISH WIFE
BEATERS.
Recommendation in Presidents Mes
sage Has Stirred Up Leading
Men to Demand Reform.
MHlP HELD AS PROPER CURE

Washington, Dec 27.-Ln conse.
auence of single passage in Presi
dent Roosevelt's annual message to
congress a movement is on foot in
the District of Columbia which may
result in the establishment OF the
whipping post in the national capital
for wife beaters. In his message the
president said:
"There are certain offenders, whose
cyiminality takes the shape Of brutal
ity and cruelty to the weak, who
need special type of punishment.
The wife beater, for instance, is In
adequately punished by imprson-
nlent for Imprisonment may often
mean nothing to him. while it may
cause hunger and want to the wife
and children who have been the vic
tins of his brutality. Probably some
form of corporal punishment would
..Sthe most adequate way of meeting
this kind of crime,
Whip Held Proper Cure.
Interviews with clergymen, police
officials, judges and others who
come in touch with the criminal class
es and understand the brutalizing in
fluence Of the man who beats his Wife,
show that there is a strong senti-
ment in favor Cf setting up the whip
ping post in the capital of the ma
tion. Right Rev Henry y. Satteree,
bishop of Washington, said:
Il would treat the brute who beats
hoy-whip him. BY whipping only,
believe. can this contemplate form
OF crime be reached effectively 1t
is matter of grave concern. and
The arguments raised against the pres
ent system of punishment that falls
far more heavily upon the wives and
families than on the offenders them
selves are true
Il am in favor Of the lash for wife
Deaters. Moreover | would be in Ia:
vor of carrying the punishment fur
ther, making it apply to other than
the wife beating class think it
would be good thing if the law pro-
vided that persons attempting ASSIST
nation should be whipped, say. once
a year. and | believe we should soon
see falling off in class of criminals
which has become for too common
Solution Seen in Post.
The Rev. John M. Schick, pastor
OF the presidents church, said:
81 believe the whipping post is a
wholesome and easy solution OF the
problem presented by the brute who
SO far forgets his obligation to defend
and love his wife as to strike her in
ner weakness, as he never would
dare to do if she were strong enough
to defend herself.
"Under the conviction that laws
are rarely remedial and that only
towards are frightened from crime by
enforcement of the law, believe that
the establishment of the whipping
post is perhaps the best means to
Tighten through fear of personal suf
fering, the coward who would beat
his wife,
The Rev j. d. Stafford of st. Pat
rick's Roman Catholic church said:
81 suppose human justice never
can be perfect, and that consequently
there scarcely ever will be a proper
ton between crimes and their pun
ishments, but certainly there is need
o. change and reform in many direc-
tions, and for crime so heinous as
. that of the brute who beats his de-
fenseless wife and children no pun
ishment could be too severe.
Nov, experience proves that ths
ordinary methods of punishment in
these cases are not sufficient to check
l them. and therefore some other meth
sod ought to be devised. The cry,
] doubtless, will be raised that it is &,
5return to barbarism-but that is not
Nttue. Sentiment for the criminal
sgs sshou,. be forgotten and TIE unspeak