The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-30
NEW WORK ON BRIGHAM YOUNG

| Brigham Young and His Mormon Empire. By
| lustratcd. Published by Fleming II. RcVch
| Company. Chicago.
Former Senator Frank j. Cannon who
is Joint author with George l.. Knapp
In the latest historical work on the Nor
mon people. needs no introduction either
as writer or q public man. HIS
collaboration. however, is not widely
known In this section of the country, al
! though ne has won fame as Il newspaper
man and as novelist In his. irst work.
| Under the Prophet in Utah. senator
Cannon collaborated with Harvey - .;
| O'Higglns, a most sklliful ana urainatlS
writer. Two such writer's as the authors
! %: Brigham Young and Ills Mormon
Empire" could not fail TO give, us work
OF intense fascination. Probably no ac
/ count vet written OF the famous presi
dent Of the MorHon church has had sucn
artistic values Each chapter is n clear
cut cameo The style is direct, vivid and
\ stirring While the book has been writ
ten from the well known viewpoint OF
J Senator Cannon, IL Is not often dlscur-
i sIve and never tedious. In the lntrodue-
ton Brigham Young Is presented TO us aa
"a man destined to a career more straneg
and Incredible than most romancers have
dared 60 imagine for their heroes Th'
Introduction adds;
Brigham never came In contact with
/ The real life of the ma ton. save 10
defy H. and nout II. and do his best
i 10 change It, He set up an Asiattc
despotism on American soil. He
maintained Mohammedan marriage
system In a Purltanical land. He
J built d theocracy in an age which
already had witnessed the birth OF
Renan and Ingersoll lie took
broken and disprited people. led them
across a thousand miles OF desert, ana
|; with them founded his Kingdom In
The fertile valley by an Inland sea.
The man who cornu acnlcvc these
things. even with some aid from for
tune. was a man OF 10 common call
iber. Without a day Of military
training, he became a very efficient ,
general-in- chief To his people. With
out an hours reading OF law, he
made himself judge and lawgiVer-
and in the main 5nst one-for
whole community Where his owl.
knowledge was deficient, ne had skilr
to use the ability OF others; and TO
this day. the finance, the government,
the merchandising, the architecture,
the social life. and even the asrlcui-
turc OF the Mormon community bear
the stamp put upon them by Brig
He matched his wits against the
might OF the United States govern,
ment. and did not come OF second
best lie yielded in outward seem
ing to federal power; but In reality
he was emperor OF his little realm 10
the hour of his death. and his sub
jects never doubted his supremacy.
| He drove federal appointeeS in as
grace from his kingdom. and took
their positions for himself and his
ravorites No matter how over
whclmtng the power with which he
was dealing, brigham Young never
was q suppllnnt. lie stormed. bull
lied. he'd. Intrigued. finesscd cojoied!
he never pleaded Tor mercy nor owned
himself in need Of mercy. He met
chastisement with fresh provoca tion.
Knowing Dolygamy 10 be the most Of
fensive OF his sins IN the eyes OF the
nation. he lived openly with score
OF wives. sent his most honored
polygamous apostle 20 congress as
! territorial delegate. and Permitted ms
subordinate priests to debate with
Christian clcrfymen on the divinity
OF plural marriage.
From the foregoing words one Is aol
: to CLEAN the viewpoint OF the authors
The worl; is historical. but it is also con
troversaI While we have here story O
Brigham Young and his stirring times. ~
aye also given the opinions OF senate
Cannon on p9lysaIny' en4rCn ia,, amS soaSe sSaSe
aNd political phases VI civilization u
Utah
raphv OF Brigham Young has not hlthcr
10 beeo written. They say that he ha
become a central figure OF weird and dis
tortcd legends that he has been mad
the target ofsuumberless inyectiNes; tina
he has been made the idol or worship
ing people. but. they declare, ne mas new
), er taken his. place in calm. impartiat his
tory Those who have written oi hin
, they sav, have been anxious TO draw hii'
) az all white or all black, and they eN
press the boieg that their work sets on
> I'm true perspective the character of Brig
= ham Young and the events I'm which h
, moved as the principal actor.
I The FIRST chapier deals With Brigham
Young and his Methodist parents, an,
J, tells how ne read. debated and argue'
=, himself into the Church OF er-da,
Saints The chapter concludes with IN
meeting OF brigham Young and TN
, prophet. Joseph Smith, I'm the presenc
! o! The prophet. The gift of tongues de
= seconded upon Brigham. and he spoke II
t strange sounds" the authors write
''Thereupon. the gift or interprctatio
/ was vouchsafcd 90 Prophet Smith VIII
declared that his new disciple was speak
ing in the pure Adamlc languoge'-a dia
q lect even more remote from the ken o
scholars than reformed Egyptian an
, having the further merit Of variety Tn
u Prophet of Mormonism had met its Busi
ness Manager
The second chapter describes the spirit
!, ual chaos existing IN America at the tim
: | the Book or Mormon came into existence
e II describes. with much attention TO de
\ tail the religious situation In New Yor
l and the newer settlements 10 rhe wes
y Speaking OF the chaos which led 80 man
n who had broken away from older faith