The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-05

tlon today In extracting for our perusal the
pth of a womans letter:
May [ ask with regard to the article
embodying the sentiments of the whip
ping party: What are parents teaching the
children, that so much whipping is needed?
The mental alertness of the younglngs
could not have been equal to their physical
1t takes a great deal more time and
twice as much self-control and patience to
explain to culprt why he did wrong than
1t takes to slap or to whip him. In the In
stance of the English girl who picked her
fathers pocket of a gold plece-having been
whipped through childhood and girlhood--
did not teach her common honesty and
honor or the true value of doing right
Il thoroughly believe that few children
are knowingly naughty. l hold as firmly
that fewer parents practice self-controI.
1t never occurs to them that their actions
will be unconsciously initiated by their
offspring.
=" have boy Of 17-elean, true. and hon
est, and a girl of 10, as honorable and good.
Neither has ever been punished by slapping
or fiogging. My boy is ready to go out into
the world Of men. The question put to my
conscience is: Have l taught him self-con-
troll SO that he will be able to withstand
temptations older and wiser (so-called)
men will ply him with to make a man Of
him? Our voters are the most unsafe com
pany for boy. Are they any safer for the
big boy whose mother has given seventeen
or eighteen years to careful training of her
darling?
What influence will be brought to bear
when he goes to another town to play foot
Ball and the trainer let's the boys drink
and smoke. as my sons captain has done?
What influence when he secs that the
mayor allows transgression which his
mother has told him is sin?
What influence when he finds that rep
utable business men. doctors, and lawyers
are all-night gamblers?
What influence, when he discovers that
some of these same men. whom he believed
respectable and honorable, take JOY rides
with wine and women?
"of what avail will the mothers infiu-
ence be then? Should her boy fall, il she
20 blame?
Who should have the whipping-the boy
or the man? J.B.E."
Searching questions these. that may wen
make careless parents q sit up and take
notice of the signs of the times
have room for but one reply to each and
all tHieSS the mOtner 5 lnnuence aDlda
with her boy like yiewless aura, en-
comprising his thoughts and bracing the
principles she has instilled from babyhood
no human power can save him. wonder
how many times each of us who reads this
has heard man say. THE thought Of
my mother kept me straight" Or, "r
held on to the memory of my mothers
teachings In my darkest hour. / could not
get away from them"
Said terribly tempted collegian Of an
overpast ordeal: =" 1t flashed into my mind
like sun ray that II yielded l could no,
tell my mother! And that up to that
moment / had never done a thing would
be ashamed to confide to her. She was
my mother confessor from babyhood The
thought rallied the self-control she had
taught me-
1 wish 1 had time to dwell upon what
our thoughtful woman and true mother
says of the eminent Importance of teaching
by example as by precept. that the basal
law of correction is this same lesson Of
getting the mastery Of ones self. " Greater
is he who ruleth his own spirit than he that
taketh city