Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-08-14
REGARDING CHILDREN

! REJAKUING ChlLOhEN
The Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children had New York
father brought into court to answer
charges of whipping his ten-year old
son recently.
The boy had been discovered by an
agent of the society. His body was
covered with welts which had been
caused by whip in the hands of his
father.
When the clerk of the court called
the case the father stepped to the
judge. The case was enterd In the
books. The welts were counted. The
father was called upon for an expla-
nation and stated that his boy had run
away from home and did not return
until very late at night. The boy was
lcalled on said simply that he had dis
obeyed his father and that in return
for it he had been beaten until he had
fallen down and tainted.
And then the judge made his de-
cision, He rebuked the society which
had caused the fathers arrest, re-
buked the boy for disobeying his ia
ther, and dismissed the defendant
with the statement, "The boy should
Ehave received ten times more punish
ment than he did,"
All of which shows little except
that there are some fathers who re-
Ilspect their boys no more than they
respect cattle; and that there are
some judges who know as much of
boydom as the kaiser knows about
real Christianity.
4 No boy who has the proper kind of
home care and home training COM
mits petty offenses which merit his
being beaten by whip until he falls
over unconscious. Fathers who do
most of their correcting with strap
or a willow switch are merely at
tempting in a futile manner to cor
rect mistakes which they themselves
made when they did not bring their
boy up properly. Fathers who are
companions for their sons do not have
to be weapon wielders against their
sons. And parents who use care and
consideration and exercise real at
tention and interest in their children
are never forced to use Hun tricks
in making their boys behave.
Spare the rod and spoil the child"
may be all right-in some isolated
cases. But even then the old slogan
said nothing about continuous lash
ings having any virtue.
If anybody deserves to be lashed
until he falls over it is the father
who mistreats his child-or the Judge
who releases a child heater without
even a reprimand.
JUST A MATTER OF MANNER.
1t was during the busiest hour for
the street cars-and for street car
! patrons 1t was after the working
day was ended and hundreds of people
wanted to get home, says an ex-
! change.
One street car was fairly well fill
ed People were standing and hold
ing the straps.
"Move on up there" said the con-
ductor His voice was harsh and his
words were given more like an order
than as a suggestion or request.
The people in the aisle did not bulge.
%I,o o.,f
"Get on up there!" again ordered
the conductor. But again nobody
moved toward the front of the car to
make room for people who wanted to
get home on the car just as much as
did the ones who happened to be on.
But there was another car, on an
other line People were standing in
the aisle of this car also and some
were holding to the straps.
please move up little in 'front.'
said the conductor. "There are some
women who want to get in Thanks.
He spoke like human being. His
last meal must have agreed with him
There was no pickle expression with
his words.
And the people moved up in front
! They made room for a number Of
folks who wanted to get home. Anc
the people in the car were beginning
7 to act little happy and jolly despite
the inconvenience of travel which &C
company a snowed-in winter.
All of which goes to show that the
! matter of manner has something to it
y A crouch expresses himself when HI
4 talks. And happy, goodnaturee
i man also expresses himself when HI
! talks. Folks were made that way
I They cannot help it. 1t is the sam
3 with telephone operators, elevate
men in the Office buildings, drus