Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11
A Retrograde Remedy.

One of the reasons urged against the
adoption of the whipping post method of
furnishing wife heaters is that 1t tends dam
gerously toward the revival of other forms
of medieval punishments of a retaliatory
character, wholly out of harmony with the
progressive spirit of this day. There Is a
pronounced trend toward faddism In TINS
country Innovations, even reversions TO
long abandoned customs. are eagerly adopt
ed on all sides because they are novelties
They are differentiated. their applications
are varied and soon the whole community
is engaged in a race to produce the most
pronounced distortions of the proposition
In this whipping-post scheme lies the
danger that If once established In the DIS
trict of Columbia for the punishment of
wife heaters, and if not quickly condemned
TO desuetude by a revulslon of public SEN
timent, 1t will soon be extended to the
treatment of other offenders than brutal
husbands, The proposal to this effect has
already been seriously made Here and
there throughout the country the Idea IS
voiced that the lash should be laid upon
the backs of various classes of Offenders.
Thus, for example. the following paragraph
appears in the Birmingham Ledger:
swimming a wife is not the only crime
Loafing and petty larceny should have the
same punishment
Here is the certain result of advocating
seriously plan of punishment for single
offense which smacks of the Old days OF
cruelty and retaliation. Imagine the con-
diton of society two hundred years ago
translated into terms of the present Con-
ceive the working out in practice OF IL
frank confession that the labor of decades
TO improve the methods of pathological treat
ment has been utterly wasted, and that
there Is no hope of evolving an ideal sys-
tenn of penalties that will cure and not
merely punish according to the ancient
doctrine of giving like for like.
In another part of todays Star appears
an article which describes in this connec-
ton the range of old-time punishments
the application of the lash to all sorts ana
conditions OF law-breakers. to malefactors
of high and low degree, and the exhaus-
ton of human ingenuity to devise barbara
tortures to fit the crime" The picture
thus drawn is revolving. 1t is difficult to
believe that men in their sober senses VIII
agree that II Is desirable to move one step
in this retrograde direction.
The bill to establish the whipping post In
this District Is seriously proposed and seri-
OuSly indorSeo py proiIiHeHl ohicioiS 1iio
individuals. There lies the great difficulty
If il were merely an ordinary freak bill,
such as any one of the dozens annually
presented to Congress to satisfy amateur
Lawmakers with theories of government.
fl might he dismissed without thought
But this measure comes before the House
with all the prestige of presidential rec
ommendation, an Endorsement by the DIS
trict Commissioners, an approval by the
chief of police and police judge. III Is 10
be met with equal seriousness and fought
not only as a specific evil, but as refec-
ton upon a God-fearing. Christian. law
abiding. we'll administered community,
whose percentage of wife-beaters Is no
higher than that of any other city. and
whose institutions are the more conspicu-
Gus because of its character as the seat OF
this enlightened, progressive government.