Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-11

when old. Franklin not only wrote
these things; he lived them. He had a
definite and systematic way of check
ing up his conduct. He made list Of
the cardinal virtues, then marked op-
posite each any slight infraction on his
own part during each day. To perfect
himself in writing he took copy of
the Spectator. fixed the thought of some
particular para graph in his mind, then
after the lapse of a few days tried to
reproduce it He always strove for self
improvement. While boy he ran on to
4 description of the Socratic method Of
questioning and making tentative state
ments. 1t made such a deep impress
sion on his mind that he abandoned the
dogmatic method of saying "Undoubt-
eddy" and Certainly" and adopted the
more modest and winning method of
saying, 1T appears to me to be so and
So or, IF L am not mistaken, it is
thus and So" To this habit early form
ed he owed much of his success as
writer and diplomat in later life.
Benjamin Franklin did not become
an author merely for popularity. OF
the creation of literature for it's own
sake he knew nothing. He wrote al
ways to further some especial cause he
had in view or with the distinct object
of aiding mems morals and material
well being. Outside of the almanac
the only considera BILE work from his
pen is his autobiography This was
unfinished at the time of his death and
was not published until some time aft
erward
The letters and political papers also
contain much of the trenchant wisdom
and homely philosophy of this versatile
man. He was one of the few who
could not write without saying some
thing. 1t might be a letter ON never so
trivial subject; still the individuality
of Franklin shOne through. He made
everything he did or said worth while
only because he was In il. He was so
distinct, so different, yet so universal
and so common, that erything he
touched he made vital with his own
being. No man, at least in modern
times, ever entered so many fields and
made himself master of them all. This
was because he was always and every
where Ben Franklin, distinct and
definite entity and sufficiently forceful
to lend to all that emanated from him
his own distinction. After all, it Is
great souls that count, and Franklin
was great enough and original enough
TO leave an impress the world can new
err lose. He became an influence ia
all after civilization that can never be
eradicated. He sowed himself in his
age, and the thought seed grew. to be
reproduced in after ages. He was a
pervasive sort of man, and there is lit
tie of the occidental world that has not
felt his presence. He was at home with
the scientist or the peasant, with the
king or the revolutionist, in the salon
or the backwoods. Such universal
characters are rare. They seem to
touch humanity at every point. to COM
prehend and include it. They are so
great they do not need to seem great,
and therefore their genius is often I'M
perceived by those nearest at hand.
This much can be said of Benjamin
Franklin: He was the most conspicu-
Gus newspaper man of his day and to i
that extent was the founder of the |
modern American press. He was one
OF the best printers, if not the best, in
the colonies, and he was the most cele |
brated American author up to his own |
day and for generations afterward.
j. A EDGERTON.