Arizona republican., 1905-08-11
The Franklin Anniversary.


 The 2OOth anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birthday will come around next January. and many suggestions as to it's celebration have appeared in the press. The most ambitious of these is that it be made a national event.
 There may be some difficulty about that Benjamin Franklin's name, Of course. is familiar to every native American and to all intelligent Amer jeans of foreign birth. In the minds of many. however, 1t may be assOci- ated chiefly with that little kite incl dent when he demonstrated the iden- tity of lightning with electricity, of the phenomena of which a little was kpown in his day. That Franklin was a philosopher and @ statesman is also popularly undtrstood; but it may be questioned whether there is among the masses of our people as enlightened an appreciation of his great character and services. both to the cause of in dependence and to humanity, as they should possess and display
 It has been claimed with reason that the three greatest Americans have been Washington, Lincoln and Frank lin. In some respects Franklin was the greatest man this country has produced. and one of the greatest the world has known. It is said of him by one of his biographers:
 "The abilitits of Franklin were 90 vast and so various. he touched human life at so many points. that it would require an elaborate essay tO charac- terize him properly. He was at once philosopher. statesman, diplomatist scientific discover, inventor, philan- thropist, moralist and wit, while as a writer of English he was surpassed by few men of his time. History pre- sents few examples of a career start ing from such humble beginnings and attaining to such great and enduring splendor. The career of Napoleon. for example, in comparison with Frank hn's, seems vulgar and trivial. The ceaseless industry of Franklin throughout his long life was guided to an extraordinary degree by the clear light of reason, and inspired by a warm and enthusiastic desire for the improvement of mankind
 He was one of the most modern and progressive of men. His open minded ness was as conspicuous as his com mon sense, which was one of the dis tinguishing features of his remarka- ble mind.
 The youngest of seventeen children of one father and two mothers, Ben jamin had to begin his career of self support as we'll as self-culture at the age of ten years, by pouring tallow into candle molds in his fathers shop In TIT he was apprenticed to one of his brothers in the printing business In the meantime he devoured all the books that came his way, and when he was fifteen began writing for his brothers newspaper. At seventeen he sailed for New York, and like many another youth since, failed to find em- ployment there. Thence he went to Philadelphia and landed In that town with one dollar in his pocket But he had his trade and soon was again busy at the case.
 These few references to his early years will show how humble were the beginnings of Franklin's great career. From them he went forward and up- ward until he sat in the councils of the new republic at it's birth. stood be- fore kings as its representative, was the associate and the peer of the greatest scientists of his age, founded a library and university, linked his name forever with one of the worlds greatest discoveries. sent his wise, quaint and witty thoughts into nearly every household in the land in Poor Richards Almanac" and died at the age of S4 years. having lived all those years the simple life, pure, temperate active and useful to his own and to all future generations.
 If the American people of today knew Benjamin Franklin, all that he was in himself all that he was to America and France and England and the world in his generation, all that he did for his country and for man. kind. there would be such a national celebration of lis two-hundredth an- niversary as would be commensurate with his worth; but though that may not be. yet. without question. the occa- sion will serve to bring out before the country as it has never been shown before the splendid career of one of the republics noblest sons.
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