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Show 608 WESTERN WILDS. best, indeed the only, scholar among the twelve, but a dreaming as-tronomer whose head was among the stars. In his prime he was quite a man, and his noted debate with Dr. J. P. Newman sho\ ved some talent, but he was even then falling into rapid decay, and has since died very poor, much broken in mind and wretchedly neglected. George Q. Cannon, then delegate in Congress, had long schemed for the succession and would have filled Brigham's place quite fairly; but Taylor had a warmer place in the Mormon heart, and for the few years he has to live he will enjoy, with Queen Victoria, the distinc-tion of being a joint spiritual and temporal sovereign these two the only ones in the civilized world since Victor Emanuel took his states from the Pope. There is something ludicrous and suggestive in the total collapse of all the great plans Brigham, and Joseph Smith before him, had made for their sons. Joseph had ordained his son Joseph, Avho is now ac-knowledged by the Josephites, and Brigham had relied on his son Brigham to succeed him. The latter is familiarly known as the Fat Boy, and his father tried long and earnestly to make him a ruler, but it was a hopeless case. The people laughed at it even before the senior's death. For awhile the father placed his hopes on his son Joseph A., who was a decidedly pleasant and liberal minded gentle-man ; but, alas, he looked upon the Valley Tan when it was red, and died suddenly, in 1875, of whisky cramp. Then the father's heart turned to John W., then called his apostate son, who had left the church and married a lady in Philadelphia. Excited with an ambi-tion to succeed his father, he repudiated his Gentile ( and truly gentle) wife, was rebaptized into the church, took some more wives, and was made First Councilor only one remove from head. His crimi-nal compliance was in vain. He believed in Mormonism no more than you or I, and the Mormon people knew it. He was not even mentioned for the place. But a few years more and all the original Mormons will be gone, Taylor among them. Soon or late I fancy those who hold out faithful will find themselves adhering to one of the sous of Joe Smith, for they alone have prophecy in their favor. Nobody need hope that Mormondom will suddenly dissolve. I lack space to show why the mass of the people must hold together ; but for years to come they dare not dissolve. Two or three thousand men and four times as many women are in polygamy; they must stick to an institution which confers a sort of respectability on their condition. Twenty thousand young people are of polygamous birth^ As long as possible |