SHAME ! 163
I have seen how another peasant of forty, who had been condennicd to corporal punishment, wept when, in reply to my inquiry whether tlie sentence had been executed, he had to reply that it had been.
1 know, too, the case of a respected, elderly peasant of my acquaintance, wlio was sentenced to be Hogged because he had «|uarrelled with the Overseer, not noticing that the latter was wearing liis badge of office. Ilie man was brought to the District Court, and from tlicre to the shed in. which the punislnnent is usually inflicted. The watchman came with the rods, and the peasant was told to strip.
- Parmen Ernn'litch, you know I have a son who is
married,' said the peasant, addressing the Ehler, and trembling all over. * Can't this be avoided.'* You know it's a sin.'
' It's the authorities, Petrovitcli. I should be glad enough myself, but there's no help for it,' replied the Elder abashed.
Petrovitch undressed and lay down.
'Christ sutfered, and told us to,' said he.
Tlie clerk, an eye-witness, told me the story, and said that every man's hand trembled and none of those present could look one another in the face — feeling that they were doing sometliing dreadful. And these are the people whom it is considered necessary, and probably for some reason advantageous, to beat with rods, like animals, though it is forbidden to torture even animals.
For the benefit of our Christian and enlightened country, it is necessary to subject to this most stupid, most indecent, and most degrading punishment, not all members of this Christian and enlightened country, but only that class which is the most industrious, use- ful, moral, and numerous.
To prevent violations of the law, the highest authori- ties of an enormous Christian empire, nineteen centuries after Christ, can devise nothing wiser and more moral than to take the +xansgressors — grown-up and some-
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