Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1883-12-12

The Nihilist who has found opportu-
nifty to place a description of life in a
Russian prison before the world gives
such narrowing account of the suffer-
ings which he and his companions in
misery cdure, and of the cruelties in
flicted upon them, that if it related to
any other than Russian prison it
would be Incredible. There is, how
ever, abundant testimony that no kind
of treatment is too bad for n political
offender in Russia, in the opinion of
those who have him in their power.
But the Car should not commute any
more death sentences as an act of
clemency.
Everything sacred is made joke of,
and suit is now in progress in the
State of New York to establish the val
idity of one of the boy and girl mar
riages which are so often celebrated for
mere sport in gatherings Of young peO-
pie. 1t should have the effect to cause
the adoption of more stringent mar
riage laws by the Legislatures of the
various States. The proposed legisla-
ton should be in the direction of COM
pelling parties intending marriage to
procure license, have public record
of the marriage made and receive
certificate from the party performing
the ceremony.
Senator Edmunds' bill against polyg
amy proposes to carry out President
Arthur's recommendation first, hyper
hitting no marriages to be considered
legal unless registered, and prohibiting
registry to polygamous marriages, and,
second, by putting the territory under
commission. The result of these meas
ures, says the Press, will be the same as
those which have preceded-null.
They do not touch the real point at
issue, which is, that polsamyis nothing
but the illicit Capitalization of men and
women. If the United States Govern
ment is willing to treat this as crime,
as it is, polygamy can be stamped out !;
if not, not.
Insurance men are getting frightened
at the numerous fires that have oc-
cured in this country during the last
year. They say that 100000, 900
worth of property has been destroyed
by the flames and at such Il rate in a
few years insurance companies will be
broken up unless they can increase
their premiums proportiOnately. Most
of these fires have been the result of
carelessness and the loss by the flames
is not the only loss, says the Philadel-
phia Erening Ne,rs, which people suf-
fer by great confagration, and the
sooner coal oil and other cOmbustible
fluids of its character are abolished as
fire-lighters and the hurried housewife
and and careless servant perform their
duties with more care and less haste
the better it will be for the public peck.
etbook a-near and afar.
What is to be done with the Soudan
its unnumbercd, war-like, halfsavagt
inhabitants, and especially how to dea
with FL Mahdi, and his victoriou.
forces, says the Philadelphia Times i,
becoming as important question fol
England and the Khedive rs the ques
ton what was to be done with the In
dian and the negro used to be in thi.
country-Only it is a very much large
question than those which have Vexct
us and led already to no end of troubl,
and slaughter. The English are call
ing the Soudan another mutinous Indi;
in Equatorial Africa. 1t stretche
1000 miles in one direction by 1900 il
another So far the attempts to briny
it under some sort of civilized govern
ment, to suppress its slave trade ant
hold it in subsection, has cost some
where in the neighborhood of fift.
thousand human lives, and to-day tn
vast bulk of the country lying West Q
of the White Nile is practically unde
the control of FL Mahdi, mosler
fanatic of the original Mohamme,
type.