The Washington times., 1919-10-14
There Is No Good Argument in
Favor of Whipping a Child
Patience Is Immeasurably Better Thsn Punishment.


short time ago in which the whipping Of children was
pointed out as being cowaTy and brutal the attack Of the
powerful on the weak.
The writer Of the letter asks that his signature be not
used request which does not lessen the interest mpOr
tsnce Of his communication, which is as follows:
Some time ago an editorial appeared in your paper
condemning the whipping of children in effort to
exact obedience and for the purpose Of correction
1t was great editorial, and for agreed with
every word Of it-then.
Recently, however 1 have been confronted with the
breaking down of all of my carefully planned and
cuted theories of child training.
have three children-twO boys IT. MS four and
half years. and daughter two and ha years. None
Of them was ever whipped until few q IS ago, when
administered spanking to one Of the twins.
He has delighted in gOuging out pieces Of the wall
in the nursery. Suggestive correction reasonable
plantations why he should not do this, and withdrawal
of privileges tried Tepeatedly-but to effect.
Heretofore with other habits needing correction, such
methods have proven effective Finally rewards
promised, and this scheme worked for a while. The
marring Of the wall however, did not stop fOrlOng
After particularly big slice hewn from the
wall (several days agO) gave the boy spanking-his
first He shuns all walls and apparently has not
changed his attitude Of comradeshp with his Daddy.
This thing has worried me more than I can express,
but the whipping In this has put end to wful
destruction.
know you viii be interested and perhaps suggest
the method that would have made the spanking entirely
unnecessary Phi
The whipping Of child is essentially brutal in that it
Is the opposing Of two markedly unequal forces No real
approves Of pitng the strong against the weak,
IN every other walk Of life, except the treatment Of
children insist upon reasonable likeness Of ability
between contestants whether it be in physical mental
competition.
The grown man who strikes a child or who treats a
child mental grOWn-up is taking advantage Of his
greater bulk and strength his more fully developed
soning powers
What happens when you strike child?
c0UFsa he flesh which gfTjra sufFarg
pain pleasure at any time Enjoyment and suffering
purely mental functions.
It is in his BRAIN transmitted there By the nerves. that
the child feels the blow and the accompanying pain.
is certain fact that there is no sensation conveyed
to the brain that does not intelligent mental
If the sensation is pleasant the thought is one Of
greater OT less JOY, or appreciation or approval
the sensation is unpleasant the thought is of sorroW
or dsappov regret and from those thoughts there
naturally springs intention to correct Or in the case Of
real or fanCed injury to revenge, and revenge is always
accompanied by hatred.
The expression Of that hatred and the gaining of that
revenge may be hndeed prevented by fear but the fear
does not eliminate the desire.
It is certain that NO CHILD EVER RECEIVED A
BLOW WHO DID NOT THEN AND THERE HAVE A
SENSE OF RESENTMENT, feeling of childish hatred
It necessarily physically sucCumbs 70 the greater
power but its little brain becomes the storing place Of hos
Ey it was able it would give expression its thought
IN physical force.
The it sometimes obeys after punishment is
that It's subsequent acts controlled by FEAR And fear
was never source Of strength 70 either child or man
Fear is responsible for more suffering, more disease
failure than any other influence IN life e Is bad
thing 70 plant in ChldS brain L is mental weed that
lTin drive out many useful and desirable thought
PATIENCE is a great deal better than PUNISHMENT
There may be- once in a great while, a child so men
tally abnormal that patience is eZeFted 70 no effect But
most children nnsy-nne out Of hundred are Just as
susceptible 70 patience their mdeVelOped reasoning
powers make possible for them 70 Be.
Every normal child viii submit It's desires and actions
90 the reasoning Is conducted on childish level
The everlasting question Of ohildS mind is ''Why7"
i.t.a.l nG,utuuss AZ Bottsm q Last Col1nnl