Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-18
FRANKLIN AND LABOR
Printers Pay Tribute to Illus
trious Craftsman.
ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH
Public Meeting Held Last Night at
Masonic Temple.
ADVOCATES OF EIGHT-HOUR DAY
Addresses by William E. Andrews,
Samuel Gompers, Gen. Warren
Keifer and Others.

| Keifer and Others.
| Benjamin Franklin and the eight-hour
| work day were the Joint subjects considered
by the speakers last night at the public
| meeting held in Masonic Temple under the
| auspices of Columbia Typographical Union,
| No 1O1, and the printers Ex-delegates AS
| ISOLATION. The meeting was held in COM
memoration Of the two hundredth anniver-
| sary of the birth of the printers patron
| saint, Benjamin Franklin. who was desig-
| mated as 1.-The great ap. 81 of the eight
| hour day.
! The auditorium was comfortably filled by
| typos, their wives, sisters. mothers, sweet
! hearts and friends. On the platform were
the speakers and Mr.. Frank Morrison, gen.
| eral secretary Of the American Federation
| Of Labor; Mr.. c. F. Sudwarth. Mr.. Mark
Moore Of the Law Reporter Company, Mr..
| George G. Seibold. secretary Of Columbia
| Typographical Union; Mr.. T. c. Parsons,
chairman Of the eight-hour committee: Mr..
| T. NJ. Ring, editor of the Trades Unionist:
Mr.. Harry c. Knapp, Mr.. E. E. Calhoun
The meeting was called to order by Mr.
| George G. Seibold in the absence of the
president of Columbia Typographical Union.
| He introduced Mr.. Dexter 8. Hussey, presi-
dent Of the Ex-Delegates Association, who,
in turn. introduced the first speaker. Mr..
| William E. Andrews Of Nebraska, auditor
| for the Treasury Department.
Mr.. Andrews paid splendid tribute to
| the memory of Franklin He said the birth
| Of this great printer, philosopher, diplomat
and philanthropist introduced to the world
wonderful personality.
An Administration Family.
1--WE are told" said the speaker, chat
Benjamin Franklin was the fifteenth in a
family Of seventeen children. That family
today would be designated as thorough
administration family and would have the
benediction Of the powers that be. The
life of Franklin in it's early years. its ma
turity and its advanced years illustrates a
lesson of activity and usefulness. His mind
had trend to the clearness of analysis
He comprehended large things in the field
OF science, literature and statecraft. This
sized up his full measure of success.
Franklin had a ready intuition. He
He recognized the fact that to toll was
honorable. But in all his great achieve
ments he always held out the fact that
he was a printer.
In his efforts as ambassador to France
he gloried in the fact that he was a printer
as he did in all his great works. In his
last will and testament he wrote: I, Ben
Jamln Franklin, printer, minister plenipo-
tertiary to the court Of France etc. He
always put Franklin, the printer, first
Mr.. Andrews said Frankin's ufe thought
always receive its just share of the wealth
1t produces. Labor on the farm as in the
printing offices should find its just re-
ward from employers who desire to be fair
and just with their fellow-men. Capital
and labor should work side by side in har-
mony and hand in hand in the proper spirit
"A noted writer has said Franklin freed
America and illuminated all Europe with
his wisdom. From the life of Franklin
comes an appeal for the highest possible
achievements of citizenship
I'VE crown labor" concluded Mr.. An
drews, las one of the kings of earth, and
look for grander achievements in the fu-
ture,' while the audience Numbered its ap-
prevail in a storm of applause.
Gen. Keifer's Tribute.
Gen. J. Warren Keifer, representative In
Congress from Ohio and former commander
in-chief Of the Spanish War Veterans, was
the next speaker. Mr. Hussey, In introduce
ing him. referred to cartoon he had seen
in newspaper depicting cakewalk as the
Ohio election, with Gen. Keifer as the CEN
trail figure, carrying off the cake.
'This Is the first time" said the speaker
that have been introduced to an audience
as a cake-walker."
Gen. Keller went on to say that Benjamin
Franklin was a journeyman printer and
runaway from his fathers home at the age
of seventeen. He had been a poet before
that time. He was poor. Had he been born
rich the world would not have had the bene-
He went to England when he was but
eighteen years old, and was therefore a
precocious tramp printer. But he came
back a rather important man. He. strug-
gled through poverty and arose from hard
work and effort. He was human--not a
divinity or q genius. He had no doubt
heard the old axiom, Genius could not
milk goat" When he went to England
he was philosopher, and he told the Eng
lish people how to subdue the angry waves
by pouring oil on the troubled waters. But
the English could not convert him from
pure Americanism. He proved by practical
tests that the electricity of the skies was
the same the electricity of the labora-
tories.
THAT was the beginning of the present
vast and wonderful use of electricity. He
had no religion, only to do good-the re-
ligion of the Good Samaritan. He did not
believe in sympathy, but in practical help
to do things. Benjamin Franklin dealt
with small and great things. He was the
builder of nation as well as a printer.
In his last days he interested himself In
the freedom of the human slaves, being
president of a great emancipation society.
That was the last office he ever held"
Never Forgot He Was Printer
Mr.. Frank X. Foster of Boston was the
| next speaker. He is a trustee Of the
Franklin fund, which has grown from the
amounts to $4,000 in itself or $1,000, 600
with additions and contributions
Mr.. Foster said Franklin, in all his great
career, never forgot that he was printer.
He tore the lightning from the sky and
tyrantS from their thrones. The printers
craft has given to the world some of its
brightest lights in literature, art, science
and craftsmanship. Nearly four hundred