The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-01-20
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'sBI CENTENARY

January II, two hundred years ago,
there came into the world a man,
whose light still shines in the dark
ness and the darkness c~omprehends it
not and does not know the origin OF
the dazzling brilliancy. and yet, while
the rare wisdom Of "Posr Richard
is brilliant, it might all find expires.
sion in the everyday life of every
man, Sc sound in sanity are it's teach.
ingS.
His practical ideas are the product
of the life he was forced to lead. He
could not live in ideas alone for his
Z parents, tallow-candlerS by trade, had
not builded up a great fortune which
might have made him great in theo-
rieS. To exist and advance he was
forced to be a mar of action; he could
not theorize about man, he had the
task of dealing with men. AS a re-
suit, We find him ' e making some
thing, improving something made by
others, and moving among men as a
comrade and leader.
Rising from the SO-called lowest
walks of life until he stood a recog-
nized guest in the %ariStOcratic courts
Of Europe, he partOOk of all the
spheres of life and aSsimilated all that
he received. With this retentive
mind and with the broad sympathy
that grew out of great experience,
what wonder that he became eminent
in SO many departments of life?
In science, he was recognized as an
advanced Investigator. and was so ex-
act in his observations that he over
threw many theories of the savants
of Europe and within their own num-
her found a sufficient following to
cause an organization of a school call
ed the FrankliniSts. Some OF his
theories, long diScredited, are just
now being proved true by investiga-
tors in electricity so thoroughly hui
manitarian was he, however, that he
bewailed the fact that none of his
discoveries could be turned to any i'm
mediately practical use to mankind.
In literature, Franklin, while not
attempting anything highly ideal,
holds a place that must be recognized
as unique and effective. He had no
time for lengthy Celebrations and he
knew the people would not read,
should he write such. He had a keen
ly analytic mind, but the analysis was
never exposed in what he wrote-he
only gave results. He theorized to
himself, but he gave to print only |
what must be done under the SUPPOSE
ton that the theory is true. A theo-
ry that could not flower into action was
80 him valueleSS. His writings, there
fore, appealed to the masses for whom
he wrote, and they were helped by the
reading. His proverbs are as true to-
day as when written, and many are
as wise as ever Solomon writ.
AS a statesman and diplomat, he is
unsurpassed. And yet his statesman
ship and diplomacy were merely cheer
fitness and common-or uncommon-
honesty. He was a truth-seed and he |
had a kindly manner of presenting
what he saw, as a matter of fact.
even to this day, calm poise, born of
a good conscience, and out-spoken
honesty, c%ourteOuSly expressed, is the
very highest type of diplomacy. (,
Benjamin Franklin was a printer. +.
die desired to teach bis people, and +
with his ever practical mind, he at i
once saw the possible power of the j.,
press. Discovering some means of r
serving the people was to Franklin. a +
command to obtain it and use it. He
saw that the ink of the printer often
accomplished the same end as the e
blood of the martyr and as a result. p
placed his name on the same roll with t
Noses, Stephen, Lester and Wesley. il
IS in many spheres of actions as the a
'reatest of his time in any sphere, his c.
loble work in founding the American S;
lation, makes us question whether he n
S well as Washington, should not C;
ave been accorded a part of the dis W
of being the "Father of his
ountry."
sc