Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-15
AN ATTACK on BENJAMIN.
Mrs. RennseIncr Says Franklin Was
Not Perfect Gentleman.

New York. Jan. l4.-After having en-
thing like 1O6 years Benjamin Frank
lin is called upon to defend his chnrac-
ter for morality and social purity,
which has been attacked by no less a
parsonage than the secretary of the
society of Colonial Danes Of America,
The Society of Colonial Danes is a
very swagger organization of women,
with whom the accident OF birth"
cuts considerable CONCEALED water.
This society was founded four years
ago, and a rival organization has al
ready sprung into being. The founder
of the society is Mrs. John King Van
Rensselaer,, In whose veins flows the
bluest kind or blood
Mrs. Van Rensselaer, is not only the
founder, but she is also the secretary
and pooh-bah of the organization, She
scans the names of applicants and
passes upon their eligibility. This fact
has made 1t necessary for her to delve
deep into the private life Of many of
the gay old boys OF other days,
When Mrs. Secretary Van Rensselaer,
hit upon the idea of an association of
colonial DANES, she went at once to her
warm friend, Mrs. Edward Welsh
Humphreys. of Thirty-ffth street, who
possesses some rich colonial blood her.
self. Mrs. Humphreys liked the Idea
immensely, and the two ladies went to
work, with the result that plans or or
ganisation were speedily formulated.
and the future OF the society looked
particularly roseate. Admissions to
the society were placed In the hands OF
the executive committee, but Mrs. van
Rensselaer,, rising high above the con-
stitutlon. reserved for herself the right
of veto. Strangely enough. she FIRST
exercised this right on her friend, MIS-
Humphreys.
About the proudest legacy Mrs
Humphreys possesses is her direct de-
scent from Benjamin Franklin. That
well-known gentleman is Mrs. Humph-
reys' great-great-grandfat ana she
has always had a warm admiration Tor
his achievements.
Her surprise and her indignation were
ing been unanimously voted In by the
executive committee. her name was
vetoed by Mrs. Van Rensselaer,.
ar is not because | object to you
personally. denr," said the secretary,
softly, ''but your ancestor, l resret''o
say, was not a perfect gentleman,
The slumbering Franklin bioou o,
Mrs. Humphreys began 10 see.ne, ara
she demanded proof OF Benjamins
moral perversity, but the secretary
would not go into particulars. content
ing herself with simply SAYING; ne
was anything but true gentleman
dear"
Then Mrs. Humphreys made an ex-
boustiye research into NIL that pertain--
cd 10 her forbear's career. She found
~ Int he had married very estimabie
younr woman named Sarah Reed when
he was "a; that four children had been
horn To this union, and that all OF them
had been baptized In Grace church.
Philadelphia Further. she found tnht
one Of these children-peborah-,grew
~ womanhood and married nara.
woriing youth named lieehe. ana tna'
1, was through this marriage that MIS-,
Humphreys herself ultimately cahs
into the world. Mrs. Humphreys tounu
no records of any ungentlemany eon-
duct by Mr. Franklin. and her anger
grew apace. =, ,,a
she finally became member OF tne
society in spite OF Secretary. van H. ~.
selaer. and she is member 10 TINS
day. t.caI
aspect. The matter is IN the nanus y,
iawyers. and the entire dihicuits "a'
be AIRED in court before long.