REWARD AND PUNISHMENTS COMBINED There are some cases in which it would be improper to employ either reward or punishment alone.They are those in which the two forces may with advantage be united---in which the legis1ator says to the citizen, obey, and you shall receive a certain reward; disobey, aud you shall suffer a certain punishment.
The two modes may be properly united when the service required by the law depends for its performance upon a small number of persons, in a virtue of the peculiar circumstances in which they happened to be placed.If, for example, the object be the securing a delinquent at the moment that he is about to commit an offence, to inform against him or to prosecute him---it will be found expedient, in order to ensure the rendering of such services, to combine with a reward for their performance, punishment for their omission.
In such cases, punishment is useful in two ways:
beside the effect produced by its own force, it also sustains the value of the reward.There is a very strong prejudice in the public mind against persons who accept pecuniary reward for the performance of such services;but when a penal motive is added, the public resentment is abated, if not altogether removed.The prosecution of a criminal for the sake of the pecuniary benefit derivable from it, is generally regarded as discreditable; but he who undertakes the prosecution to avoid being himself punished will be considered at least as excusable.The desire of self-preservation is called a natural propensity; that is to say, is regarded with approbation.
The desire of gain is a propensity not less natural; but in this case, although more useful, it is not regarded with the same approbation This is a mischievous prejudice: but it exists, and it is therefore necessary to combat its influence.We must treat opinions as we find them, and not act as though they were what they ought to be.This is not the only instance in which it is necessary to put a constraint upon men's inclinations, that they may be at liberty to follow them.
An instance of the judicious mixture of reward and punishment is furnished by the practice pursued in many schools, called challenging.All the scholars in the same class having ranged themselves around the master, he who stands at the head of the class begins the exercise:
does he make a mistake, the next to him in succession corrects him and takes his place; does the second not perceive the mistake, or is he unable to correct it, the privilege devolves upon the third; and so of the rest;---the possession of the first place entitling the holder to certain flattering marks of distinction.
The two incitements are in this case most carefully combined: punishment for the mistake, loss of rank; reward for the informer, acquisition of that same rank; punishment for not informing, loss of rank the same as for the offence itself.
If, under the ordinary discipline of schools, in the case where the scholar has no natural interest which should induce him to point out the mistakes of his associate, it were attempted to produce these challenges by the force of reward alone, the opinion which the general interest would create would oppose an obstacle to the reception of the reward, most difficult to be overcome: but when the young competitors have to say in their defence, that they have depressed their neighbour merely to avoid being depressed themselves, they are relieved from all pretence for reproach; every one without hesitation abandons himself to the suggestions of his ambition, and, under the sanction of the law, honour combats with unrestrained impetuosity.
