The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-01-31

Dali Y
CHIT.
/. cHA.1.

TO SPANK OR NOT TO SPANK.
Seine weeks ago raised the CUES.
ton Of the wisdom Of corporal punish.
ment for children aud asked my letter
friends TO have chat with each other
as to whether it we're better to spank
or not 10 spank.
Below are some of the letters ! re,
ceived. am grieved that cannot
print every one because they were all
SO interesting.
Here is an emphatic antt.spanker-p
man, by the way:
with due respect to you | place
anyone who speaks OF punishment for
children in the same category with
those who maintain that murderers
should he electrocuted for punishment,
criminals should be confined for pun
Iisament and the institution in which
they are placed called penal institu.
tons. II MATE
Take, for instance, the chill which
throws its toys on the floor Just TO
see them being picked up again. Place
yourself in the way OF one of the
childs flying toys and let it strike
| you. Then pretend that you have been
injured and sham crying; invariably
that child will crawl to you, caress
the injured spot and perhaps cry in
sympathy. Why? Because it thinks
! it has injured one who has given it ten
der care and it is contrary to animal
nature to njure one who is kind. Ap.
ply the same rule when the child is
old enough to reason"
The writer goes on TO tell that this
is the only sort OF punishment he ever
uses, and that it has invariably been
successful with his daughter. Read.
crs of Sentimental Tommy will prob.
lably remember Miss Allie, the gentle
school,ma'am VINO tried whipping her.
self when the boys were bad and soon
had TO give 1t up because 'ft merely
set them 10 watching each other, 80
that they might cry out, pandy your.
self quick. Miss Allie; Gavin Dishart's
drawing the devil on his slate"
Here is thoughtful lady who is on
the fence.
II was much interested in your Nor.
days publication,
Although think corporal punish.
ment has been practiced too eXten-
slvely | believe there ere occasions
when its enforcement is most adyisa
bio
81 have a nephew, who when child.
always felt better toward himself, as
also everyone with whom he came in
contact, after this kind of punishment
had been meted out to him. Nothing
else in his case sulEiced.
LAS for myself, never received Il
whipping that did not injure my dispo-
siticn. always wished that nigh;
die, but still be conscious, so that |
could see my mother weep, regretting
that she had thus punished me.
"One of the most successful school
teachers %hom | have ever knoYn,
AN instructor wiioshe' views and meth.
DDS were far in advance Of those of
his contemporaries, whose great point
in discIplining was TO place his pupils
on their honor, firmly believed in cor
lporal punishment aud practiced it in
certain cases.
Certainly much wisdom is required
Fin administering corporal punishment
properly-to be sufficiently thorough
yet not cruel, to administer it TO the
fright person and at the right time"
Another reader has no doubts OH
the subject;
a am very sorry that ! ever struck
one OF my children. Don't do it--you
will be sorry some time. 1t does no
gocd-results are all harmfu1.-Motli'
Ell"
simply cannot let some Of the 9TH
cr interesting letters 20 unpublished
so will adjourn the symposium until
tomorrow. Anyone not interested in
this vital question, needn't read the
column until the day after.
Al M Il.