Name/Title
Newspaper clipping A Father's ConfessionEntry/Object ID
000732Tags
Unknown NewspaperScope and Content
A Father’s Confession.
In the Herald of yesterday a father explained why he never whipped his children. Of far greater importance, however, was the same parent’s declaration that were he to describe perfect sons he would delineate the fine fellows that his own boys had become. Very few parents have honesty enough to tell any truth that humiliates them, yet no father who whips children can read the confession alluded to without admitting from his own experience that it is true. Reasons innumerable have been offered in excuse for flogging children, but the only real incentive that ever existed was parental ugliness. Children are whipped when their parents are bad tempered, and only then. A child can be flogged at less expenditure of time or thought than any other punishment would require. Besides, the contemptible mixture of cowardice and ferocity that in man, as well as in the lower animals, is easily excited during moments of anger can be exercised with comparative safety upon one’s own child. If fathers and mothers had sufficient heart and brain to analyze their own motives millions of parents to-day would, like the author of the letter published yesterday, give much of their earthly possessions to be able to ask forgiveness of the children whom they in their anger -- not sense of justice -- have whipped.