Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-01
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Mrs. Chas, J, Haden Thinks Those
in Authority and Children Should
Both Be Taught Duties.

Mrs. Charles j.. Haden, No. 1913
Peachtree road. president of the City
Federation of Women's Clubs, on SAT-
urday injected a new idea into the
discussion precipitated by an inter-
view gwen out recently by Recorder
Nash r. Broyies, in which he char
acterized corporal punishment as in
human and relic of barbarism. and
urged that the practice of logging
children, both in the home and IN
the school, be abolished.
She advocated a course OF training
Tor parents and children, beginning
In the infancy of the latter, by which
there should be instilled into the
mind of the child a knowledge of au-
thorlty, of the meaning of discipline
and natural inclination to obey that
should solve the problem by the sim
pie process Of eliminating it. 1t would
follow. she declared. that the child
that entered school with such train
Ing received in the home would never
need an application of the rod as a
corrective measure for its misdeeds.
Mrs. Haden, while she laughinglv
declared that whatever opinion she
might entertain is more or less theo-
retical, being based on observation
rather than on experience, admitted
that she agreed with Judge Broyles
that corporal punishment is never
justified, except perhaps as punish
ment for the most fragrant violations
of discipline.
Parents to Blame.
This statement she modified, how
ever, by declaring that children who
have attained such heights OF juvenile
mischief as to be unruly or disObs-
dent through malice. thereby making
the rod the only remedy, are not so
much to blame as their parents, or
whoever has their training in charge
The time undoubtedly will come.
Mrs Haden declared. when corporal
punishment will be abhorrent and
when the flogsing Of children will h.
the exception rather than the rule,
but it will hardly be for some time
A course Of training that prOba bly,
must extend through several genera
tons perhaps may be necessary be-
fore the precepts OF discipline, the
beauties Of obedience and a thorough
knowledge of authority is so ground
ed in the mind of childhood that It
will be unnecessary to resort TO ViO-
lent means to enforce discipline or
compel obedience.
81 do not believe" Mrs. Haden de-
clared, that the practice of whipping
children is thing that can be cast
aside lightly, because ii appears to
be human nature. or at least natural
for a great many people, to resort
to the rod as punishment for even
the most tTi1ing violations Of disCi-
pine ] do not think any Child does
wrong willfull-' or maliciOusly, and
surely there are other means of con
trolling them than by whipping them
However, I have heard children, and
parents. too. say that they have
known children who have been utter
" unresponsive to kindness and love,
and yet have instantly become ODE
dent and tractable AFTER being
whipped so there must be times when
corporal punishment appears to BE
justified. Corporal punishment car
under any circumstances, be right or
just.
Training Only Solution.
Corporal punishment, | think is a
problem, and nothing seems to offer
a solution but training, both for the
parents and the children. If the right
kind of training is given, the problem
will solve itself by gradually elimi-
mating whatever necessity there
might be for corporal punishment.
This training has already begun, ami
1t is, in fact, a part OF the feminist
movement that is sweeping the Wort ].
The kindergarten and all the modern
scientific methods OF rearing a child
appear to me to be things that will
be factors in the solution Of the cor
poral punishment problem. At the
kindergarten the child is trained in
the right direction. the principles nf
discipline, a knowledge Of authority
and natural inclination to obedience
are instilled into il at time when
its mind is receptive IF this training
Is continued through the years VITA
out a break they viii never need the
rod, and when they. too, become par
ents they will be equipped to train
their own children. OF course, moth
ers who are equipped and able and
have the time should train their
children in their own home. but for
those who have not the time. for
those mothers vino are forced by cir-
cumstances to reliuquish to a certain
extent the care of their children, tie
kindergarten training Is the best sui
stitute for a mothers training