Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-09-02
SUNDAY READING.

the life and character of that remarkable
leader of a remarkable movement. Follow
ing lead which trends in very natural di-
rection, the MORNING APPEAL invites its Sun
day readers to the consideration of one of the
relations in which the name of the late Nor
mon hierarch has been employed. Quite nat
urally Young has been hkened to Mahomet
But the more we compare the TWO characters,
the less they seem to have had in common
save the leadership of new religious move
ment and the absolute sway of very consid-
cradle body of fanatical followers. In per
sonal characteristics the two men were widely
different. Mahomet was beautiful of form
and of highly emotional and poetic nature.
He founded, not adopted and followed re-
ligion as Young followed Joe Smith Both
were driven away from their homes by perse-
cution or violent opposition, (Which is very
Mecca to Medina with but single attendant,
whereas Brigham marched into the heart of
an unknown continent at the head Of thous-
ands, and founded holy city in the wilder
ness These following descriptive lines of the
Arabian Prophet, at once place him in con-
trast with the strange, hard man who has just
died: GIN the midst of his obedient and CRATE
full capital (Medina), says a late writer, cor
at Mecca, under the hills where he had tended
goats to win scanty living, Mahomet ruled
with barbara equity, and still retained some
traces OF Puritan austerity. OF all the wealth
of gold and gems, fine stones and cloths of
gold, brought in by his successful marauders,
he took nothing. He divided the plumber
among his followers, or devoted it to sacred
purposes He lived in extreme and almost
abject poverty His house was a poor cottage
covered by leaves but around it were the
eleven houses, equally plain, of his various
wives. His food was chiefly dates and water
So liberal was he to the poor that his own
family were sometimes in want and his child
rem hungry; and with the riches of the East
under his control, the patient enthusiast pre-
ferred to live in constant need" Save in the
single fact of his polygamous practice there is
nothing in this sketch which favors the rug
ged outlines of the Mormon chief But there
Is a likeness in the two religions; also there is
a considerable degree of similitude in their
accompanying codes of morals. Mahomet,
like Smith and Young was the ''revelator" of
his creed and his deciples, His new fancies
were sanctiied to him and them by miracu-
lous intervention. CAT Medina" for instance,
"Mahomet assumed the power of temporal
prince; his prolific tongue poured forth a new
series of poetic rawlings; the Koran grew by a
ceaseless tide of contradictory revelations, and
was swelled to crafty the momentary impul-
ses, fears or wishes of its author Never, in
deed, was there so strange mass of vanity, |
of folly, confusion and plain common sense"
This would pass for a description OF Smith at
Nauvoo and his book of Mormon More than |
twelve centuries have passed since Mahomet |
died. The religion which he founded has had |
4 steady advancement IN strength and in the |
number of its adherents ever since. But lit
tie more than half century has elapsed since
Joe Smith died and the religion inculcated |
in the name of the Book of Mormon has ever
grown with the increasing years. The secret
Of the success of these g False Prophets
seems to find common ground of explanation.
They addressed themselves to, as they found
an origin in, the lives of the lowly. Their
founders were loyal to their order. They ad
dressed themselves to the sympathies, the
passions, the necessities and the moral and
physical advancement of their followers.
Their origin shares the humbleness of that of
the Christian religion. In very large aspect
It is "of the people and for the people "
Moreover, each of these faiths became weld
ID into strength by early prosecutions Ma
lomet might have died comparatively I'M
Known and only known at all by his somewhat
ncoherent rhapsodies, bu: for the intolerance t
If the koreish authorities of his native city.
Toe Smith was i'll fair way, by his vulgar ,
freed and garish displays of personal vanity
o have disguised even the most bigoted of
lis converts, if he had not been made mar ;
yr at the hands of 4 wild and savage mob. +
Ills swelling ambition, his lust of wealth and f
lis absurd political pretensions must, sooner /
r later, have made him an object of distrrst =,
lie had already, at that very early day Q844 v
formulated we'll nigh q million of money by
is system of tithes; and it is an interesting
eature of the politics of his day that he was
candidate for the Presidency of the Repub- q
C. But we have long looked to Brigham
l. IL L