Year: 1873




To Spank or Not To spank.


The sins and sorrows of boyhood come to
the relief of men, There is absolute refresh
ment in being called upon to turn for mo-
ment from the spectacle Of diplomatic mud
ding to that Of educational prerogative. The
question at present before the Board Of Edu-
cation is whether the boys in public schools
shall be liable to tho punishment Of the rod.
We think we can imagine with considerable
accuracy what the boys would have to say
upon the subject; but unfortunately for them,
this is case in which their opinion is not
taken much into account. Let us charitably
hope that all that is taken into account is their
good. A celebrated writer once composed
long poem in heroic metre on the use and mis-
use of the rod. Did he learn in suffering
what he taught in song? We are afraid SO,
since, in the poem in question, he certainly
taught nothing good. And this brings us to
the views on the subject of the various mem
bers of the Board OF Education at the meeting
held on Wednesday night OF course there
was much difference Of opinion. One gentle
man thought that if anybody should be fogged
it was the teachers, not the boys.
This view seems to us rather ex-
treme, and, perhaps, little cynical and
we are afraid Mr.. Cockley must have wan
dered too much "under the birches' in very
early youth. Commissioner Jenkins believed
that fagellation was remnant of barbarism.
He is right; and when the well bircheG boy
grows up the cream of his mind is apt to be
whipped cream. Commissioner West main
tanned that the Friends never inflicted COR
poral punishment and that their children
were as well behaved and obedient as those
of parents belonging to other sects This was
a good point and could not fail to pro-
duce q corresponding effect Commissioner
Townsend thought that bad boys ought TO be
whipped in moderation. He had been
member of the Board of Education! Now,
while congratulating the Board Of Education
upon possessing so shining on instance of the
virtue of judicious spanking, we venture to
hope that had Commissioner Townsend never
been subjected to this peculiar mode of pun





position he at present occupies. We will not
do him the injustice to think otherwise. We
should be sorry to think that the Board of
Education is indebted for even single men,
Der to such an early and often laying on of
hands as Commissioner Townsend's burst of
confidence would seem to imply 1t is pain
full to be compelled to add that Commissioner
Mathewson made an avowal similar to that of
the gentleman we have just named. He
honestly believed that, had it not been for
corporal punishment, he would not be men,
Der of the Board to-day. But Mr. Mathewson
omits one important point. He forgets to
say whether the corporal punishment was
performed on him or some one else. Possibly
the sight of some other boy being magnifi
Gently spanked was quite sufficient to chasten
his impossible and youthful soul. On the
principle of being thankful for any event that
saved us an ornament to the Board, perhaps
we ought to be grateful even to corporal pun
ishment.


But our gratitude is not very deep; for,
after all, the whole thing comes to this
Will the reintroduction of corporal punish
ment into our public schools do good or ill
We believe it will do harm, and great deal
of harm. Allowing for the burly, brutal boy
whom birching, severely primitive, might do
much to better, and for the boy of foul tongue
and habits whom all other punishments have
failed to improve, we believe that the average
boy would be hurt and not benefited by the
proposed change. We do not allude to cor
poral punishment for girls, because that has
not been broached. The average boy has
generous instincts, which only need to be
properly appealed to in order to make warm
response. If such an appeal cannot be made
the fault is in the teachers who might whip
till eternity without doing any real good.


GRAB IN HASTE AND REPEAL AT LEISURE. -
The storm of public odium called forth by the
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