Fighting Polygamy

The Utah commission, by its chairman, A. B. Carleton, has íiled with the secrotary of the interior its auuual report, oL which the folio wing is a synopsis: During tho year the law regarding the disfranclnsemënt of polygamistsaud those living in nnlawful cohabltation has been fully and successfully enforced. All such perttons, with very few, if any, exceptions, have been excluded from voting and holding offices. A large number have been fiued and imprisoned in the penitentiary for polygamy or unlawful cohabitation, ehiefly for the latter offon=o. It is roported and believed by many resident non-Mormons thnt during tho year a Iarge niinibor of polygamous marriages have taken place in the templos of Logan City and Bt. George. We have not the ineans of verifying such reports, yet we have no doubt that a considerablo nuinber of such murriuges have been celebrated, with the knowledgo, approbation und active cooperation of leading men of tho Mormon fuurch. Whether, upon the whole, polygamous marriagos are upon the docreaso iu Utah, is a matter of which different opinions are expressed, but undoubtedly many have boen restrained by tho fear oí di3fanchisement and the penitentiary, and we think it is safe to say that in the more enlightened portions of the territory, as, for e.v;unple, Salt Lake City and its vicinity, very few polygamous marriages have ocenrred within the last year. Referrlng to the joint resolution now pending in both houses of congress, proposing an amendment to the constitution oL tho United States, prohibiting and punishhig polygnmy in all the states and territories, extending the judicial power of the Federal government to the prosecution of sueh offenses, tho report says: "While we are of opinión that this should not supersedo othor méasureB, we are satisüed that it wouid bo an efficiënt factor in eiïectuatiug tho desired rosult. In addition to the reasons presented by the judiciar3r committee we sugRest that the incorporators of this provisión in the constitution would serve as an advertisement to the peqple of all civilized nations, that in tho United States polygamy had been put under a ban iu the most authoritative and emphatie manner." The report calis attention to the magnitude of the evil by saying that there are more than (Kl.CKX) Mormons in the vvorld, a largo majority of whom live in Utah, and that while only a portion of them practica polygamy, thoy all believe in it as a divino rclation; havo been taught it in their schools and churches fora third of a century; are led by men of great skill and ability, ond are funatical to a marked degree; that tho only immediately effective remody would be the use of the military; but that the sense of modern civilization will not permit the employment of bayonets against women and children. Yet, the American peoplo regard polygamy as a crime and it cannot be ignorea by the government. tlHere we may say that wltile we recognize the obligation of the government to protect the personal and property rights of the Mormon people, and to deal with them as oquals before the law, yet it is equally the duty of the goyernment to punish crime witiiin its jurlediction, and religious liberty cannot be pleaded is a bar to punishment for criminal acts in violation of tho laws of the land and of social order. If present laws and the proposed constitutional amendments are not suflicient to eupprêSs the evil more stringent enactr.ients must be adopted, and tho result will be that, at no distant day, this relie of Asiatic barbarisiu, this blot on the fair fame of America, wit be swent from the land." A TEERIELE DISASTEB. A Dozen Lives Lost by a Boiler Explosión. The boilers of the new steamer La Mascotte, bound trom Grand Tower, 111., to Girardeau, Mo., exploded at noon the other tlay opposite Neely's Landing. The boat was sieaming alon utuler 150 pounds of steam, her usual amourit to carry,vhen tbe explosión suddenly oceurred, blowing the fife in every direction. Tlie utmost confusión jjrevaüed. The pilot, taking advantage of the boafs heading, turnea her toward the shore, but the ñames caused himto abnndon bis post bef ore the stage plank could be lowered. After leaviug lns post the curren t turned tho boat'3 bow into the river again and her stern swung close to the bank, which afforded a means of escape for several who were at that end of the boat, the pilot and one cabin boy getting ashore without any injuries or even a wet foot. The stage plank were lowerod and many were placed upon it, mostly women and children, who must have been saved had not the sinoke-stack fallen squarely across it, and all wk were not killed by it were drowned. Capt. Thompson after doing all in his power to save the passengers and crew, jumped overboard and swam ashore, the boat ha ving by this time drifted fully 200 yards out into the river. La Mascotte drifted out to the Illinois shore, opposite Willard's Landing and sank, the only thing visible at present being her wheel. Out of the crew of 24, 14 are saved, and the total loss of life is placed at betweon 18 and 23. The wreek resul ted from the collapsq of one of tho boiler flues. Tho explosión spent its force directly backwards into the engino-room, and only the crew and roustaoouts sulïered from beiug scalded by the escaping steam. Eleven of the latter were 5.0 terribly burned that hue scales of ilesh peeled from their bodies. Six of them have died. Hang for Sare. R. P. Wallace, tho supposed murderer of the Logan family of hve persons, father, m ither and thrèa chüdron, of Cula, Mo., was taken from the jail at Steelville on the night of Oct. 5th by a mob and lynchod. The guilty man had been taken to Steelvillo from Cuba, Mo., for safe keeping a few days before. A mob dragged Wallace from his cell and hung bim up. He was cut down in order that a confession might be forcéd frotn htm, but ho refused, and the shritt' lmiried him back to his cell. A more succefessful attempt was made on the 5th inst.. to mete out iiisticñ to tlm murdorer. A masked mob of uboutKO men gathered around the jail at mídnlght and demanded entranco of the jailor. This wus refused and the mob battered down the doors. A delegation of their members was sent to bring out the prisoner, whilo others were detailed to guard the roads leading to the scène. Wallace was wakened from his sleep, dragged out and was asked if he h.'ul anylbing to say. Ho responded by strongly protesting nis innocence, still adhering to the story that it was the Negro Vaughu who was guilty. This angered the crowd more than ever and with a shout they produced a rope, ono end of which they placed around thu murderer's neck. Tlie other end was thrown over the limb of a tree standing near the jail. ïhe prisoner still protesteci his innocence, and appealed for mercy, but without avail. Streng hauds graspea the rope and Wallace's body wasswong in the air. Another chance was not given him to confess, and in a few minutes he was dead. The mob then disperse! and jail oflicers took possession of the body. The Whcat Crop. The average yiel d of wheat as given by the department of agricultura upon an aroa of fnlly 37,0C0,0tO acres, áppears to be close to 12,'4 ; buslu'ls per acre, making the crop of an average of a series of years. The area actually harvested is now the principal object of exact determination. The result will vary littlo fromauincrease of 1,(KX).l'O) bushels over the crop of last year. Tbo state averages of the principal statcs are: New York, 17 bu; Pennsylvania, D!; Keiitiu'Uy. 11.5; Ohló, 15.7; Michigan, 16.8; indiana, 15.1; Illinois, 13.1; Wisconsin, !:.'.:(; Minnesota, 12.6; Iowa,12.5; Missouri, 12.Í5; Kansas, 11; Nebraska, 9.B; Uakota, 10.5; California, 11.5; Oregon, 12.5. One Woman Killed. A fire occurred the othhr morning in the New York four-story brick building, 03 Bayard street. Mrs. ilinnio Kegalsky became bewildered and ran p the ladder to the roof. She rnissod her fooüiiK and feil to the street, a distance of about 40 feet and was killed. Hymn Kueber jumped out of a reár window and broke through a skylight on the ground floor, and was severely cut by tha glass.