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

- - EXT Monday. in all probability
the members of the House Of
REPRESENTATIVES viii be called
TO vote on the proposition to es-
tabGsh a whipping post In the
pistrfc, Of Columbia for the punishment OF
wife beatcrs. The action Of the House Dis
trt., committee in reporting, without rec
ommendatl0n. the bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Adams of Pennsylvania has given
the measure a place on the calendar. Mon
day is District day. and it is the present in
4e1tiou Of the author of the bill to have II
considered at that time.
IL Is the confident opinion of those &C
ouaIuted with the situation that the meas
ura viii not pass The House of Repre-
seuta-lves is composed of men Of different
political parties, OF varying political faith,
OF widely divergent views on the many
questions that come before them. But in
the main they are men of common sense.
accustomed TO arguing from cause to eff
feet wise In the ways of legislation, swift
10 talk and slow TO act. After obtaining
the views Of those members Of the House
of Representatives who reflect in large
measure the wisdom and intelligence of the
working maiority-the majority OF common
sense. without respect TO political attila-
tiOus-.t IS safe TO assert that In all prob
ability the bill VIII not pass.
II seems, however, 70 many of those who
have given serious thought TO this attempt
I'd modern revival OF an ancient and dis
credited practice that the advocacy of a
measure of this sort Is in the nature of a
reflection upon the intelligence. 1t is not
as If the whipping post were thing new
and untrieG; it is not as II It's Vices and
virtues were entirely theoretical its actual
effect upon the matter and morals OF a
community still remaining 20 be worked
fT no F1F1l ~ avr
whipping post has had Its day,
Years ago, when our e8t-grandfathers
were young and our grandfathers yet un-
born. whipping posts stood in the public
square OF hundreds of cities and towns in
what are now these United States. Brutal
degraded, drunken wretches were daily
dashed on the bare back for the edit.
cation and amusement OF a hardened pop
quarry to the gaze. to the insults and abuse
of the liEht-miuded and the cruel The
scOlds bride clamped it's heavy curb upor
the uuruly, loose-hung tongue. The duck
ing stool at rivers edge dipped merrilS
with shivering freight of shrewish vtrago
And dozen other engines, relics OF the
public Anglo-SaN0n tnquisition. played theii
little part in the old regime of retaliatory
punishments.
IL is very doubtful whether any one O.
the ten members OF the House District com
nittee who by their votes were instru
mental I'm placing the Adams bill upon thu
calendar subject TO being called upon OF
Monday would deny that the establishment
OF a whipping post In Washington woulC
be a step backward toward the olden days
when the post and the pillory, the bride
and the Drank, the stool and the plough
shares, held sway. or all the ten there /!
probably not man who sincerely ana
earnestly believes that. The manner IL
which the bill was reported is evidence o.
this fact. II was placed on the calendar
without recomme ndation, and in its repor
the committee mentions that owing to thu
difference of local opinion manifested as Il
the advisa bility OF establishing a whipping
post here it was deemed best to let thu