The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-10
EVENING CHAT
BIZ RUTH CAMERON.
Some Interesting Letters.


The question as to whether it is
better to spank or not to spank is
still on the carpet. Anyone not inter-
ested will please read some other part
| of the paper.
81 have never been a spanker," says
a correspondent who signs himself "A
young bachelor but in my juvenile
days was frequently a spankee. 1 do
not believe in spanking, or other
forms of corporal punishment, unless
the child is afflicted with pure cuss-
edness. In my opinion the parent
who administers punishments which
cause pain is long on muscular
strength, and short on mental ability.
He Cor she) finds it easier to give the
child a wallop than to logically ex-
plain to the child wherein it is wrong.
1t was vigorous 'thrashing, given
me by my father that impelled me
to run away from home when 1 was
Is years of age. (But I kept my
mother posted as to my whereabouts
1t was corporal punishment that first
made me feel the need of profanity
in my vocabulary My mother in all
her life never did anything that could
cause physical pain, and she was al
ways gentle in her reproofs and adj
monitions. I know you will believe
me when I say that it always pleased
me to please her. You may be sure
that with the normal child moral sua-
sion is more effectuaI than the rod
ing. Don't spank. or whip, or flog
your children, unless you are willing
to admit that they have inherited
nasty tempers and vicious DISPOSE
tons"
Here is the other side of the case,
expressed by a woman:
1T seems to me that the modern
method of bringing up children will
be responsible for a national calam-
ity. believe in corporal punishment
a
which is soon over, and always comes
when promised, and of course suited
to the age of child. A little slap on
the hand which persists in dropping
toys, smart tingling on the legs
which run away, etc, are far less
harmful than shutting up a child, de-
priving him of privileges, ETC., which /
know so often lead to deceitfulness, !
or an attack of nerves. / am also
sure that six months is not too early
for a child to mind when properly
instructed
And here's a We liable letter from a |
woman who not only tells what !
not to do, but what to do:
Il can't understand how a mother /
can strike, or beat, a little tender
morsel of her own flesh and blood. I
1t would be an impossibility for me /
to do that. Yet do not think for |
moment 1 underrate the necessity for |
discipline-my girl of twelve has been 4
made to mind from the time, as you !
so aptly put it, she was old enough to 4
throw her toys down for the pleasure /
of having them brought back to her.
Hers were given back to her once. /
She learned. Indeed, I have not a .
friend who has not criticised me for (
being overly strict with her, but she is .
a child for whom one mo- suffices,
and all my friends are glad to have
her visit them. She has never been
spanked, not even had the little fin
gers slapped, yet I have required i'm
plicit obedience from babyhood. 1t
ha srequired a great deal of thought,
much patience, unlimited love, but is
that any more than their due? She
is no angel child she has a strong
will, but 1 always determine that
mine shall be a bit the stronger. L
strive hard to impress upon her that
the wrong does not consist in doing
what I tell her not to do, but in doing
the thing that is not right-that I do
not punish her because she has dis
obeyed me, but because she has done
wrong, and she must obey only be-
experience that enables me to judge
better than she what constitutes right. |
1 try to have her reason those things
for herself, to show her where every
wrong act has an evil result.
I'VE have great discussions Of
these subjects. My friends say, oh,
it is in the child but / will claim the
credit for my system, for she is only
a normal, healthy, strong-willed, nat
urally obstinate girl, and I know her
good behavior is the direct result of
the way her mind has been trained
from birth"
Both in these letters and the others
that I received, the anti-spanker GER
tainly has the DAY, in numbers at
least
Miss Observation-Disclosures my friend !
Mrs Hitler. She moves in the best So
ciety. Mrs. Yeast-Yes, suppose snc