Evening journal., 1906-09-22
Peoples Column
eThe WhIppIna Posi-. ?

"The Whipping Post"
Editor The Evening Journal
/ Crime is on the increase; little value
is placed on life. liberty and the pur-
suit Of happiness. Race hatred is rum
ning riot In many places. Our news
paper editors and men who claim to
do the thinking for the people, who
claim also the best-balanced brain Of
the community. should be careful how
they exercise the prerogative The
! danger is misrepresentation and over
drawn conclusion from the facts.
"A rigid enforcement Of law is urged
as means Of halting crime in this
slater"
Because the object Of law is to pro-
tect life and property. Evidently the
law Is not doing the thing for which
II has been enacted, In spite Of the
drastic measures OF Judge attorney
and jury
A visit to the "workhouse" will help
TO solve the problem A look at the
men there tells a sad story. In the
countenance of nearly every one can
be seen the word hatred" as If writ
ten by some master hand In indelible
ink-hatred, yes, for the society that
has been an important issue in. their
downfall, for the man who has wrong
ed them. the man who punished them.
Drastic measures of the law has a
tendency to increase hatred, and when
a criminal comes forth, having served
his time, he IS tenfold more of child
OF the evil one. They know that So
ciety has placed no value on their life.
consequently they accept the situa-
tion as true, abide by the verdict, and
go forth determined to get even.
Therefore, life is not protected by the
laws Of Medes and Persians. which
cannot be changed or by the barbarous
custom Of justifying the use Of the
whipping-post.
IL has been said OF Golden Rule
Jones" that before he was mayor OF
Toledo, Ohio, during his judgeship. a
poor unfortunate victim OF society was
brought before him, charged with
theft. On inquiry II was told the
court that the man had broken a win
dow and stolen a loaf OF bread, where
upon Jones. without further trial,
fined everyone in court ten cents and
himself one dollar. because they per-
mitted such a condition OF affairs.
Evidently the Golden Rule constituted
every man his brothers keeper"
higher civilization is not reached
by copying the barbarous customs Of
the past, but In substituting a power
that has never failed. namely, love-
love never fails" Love in its finer
qualities Is law. and Il exacts obedi-
ence from the brute; why not man?
Then they say laws are enacted for
the safety and security OF property.
This grants TO the property owner
/ the right to make laws or indirectly
through Legislature TO make laws.
But the question arises. how did the
man get his property-honestly or dis
/ honestly2 How did he become such a
large taxpayer and WELD such a tell
/ ing influence? Should the laws of our
] land protect dishonest gain2 Bankers
and real estate agents" insurance
presidents. are bllndfolding the honest
toiler and taxing his energy to its ut
most to live and be decent by their
/ trickery. What right have ] to sit
in a cushioned seat Of honor and call
another man Indecent and a vagabond,
when my bank account and real estate
holdings tell the story of his indecency.
There are indecent rich and indecent
poor; idle rich and idle poor; dishonest
rich and dishonest poor. 1t is not a
virtue to be rich or poor. but " Is a
shame and an outrage to be dishonest
We have dishonest husbands and
wives also, who have placed no value
on the marriage vow. We need some
thing more than the whipping post
TO beat the husband who beats his
wife, when both are guilty of unchas-
tity Love has never failed to give
the honest man his rights or to make
the home Garden of Eden. The
whipping post is standing evidence
OF the difficulties involved in a higher
civilization. of the hardness Of our
hearts toward one another Of the dis
tance between us and that Christian
age OF peace on earth, goodwill to
men. Respectfully.
A. Citizen.
/ Wilmington Septenher %