The Washington herald., 1907-12-29
WEBSTER AND FRANKLIN.
DIR. Taylor Emphasizes Point in
Response 10 Senator Knox.


E5i,0r Tl- Washington Herald.
In the Philadelphia Press of Friday, the
9th instant. appeared leader upon the
subject Of Webster and Franklin. which
IS such a disjointed mass Of confusion
that il almost dehes analysis The fol
lowing Is "a specimen
So 8Ir TAYLOR seeks 20 evade the issue be rrles
% sniff his ground he sp-eads ont his plea f-r
PelE-iah NchStcr from one On four basic r-ll-
cipies, he argues that The Albany plan vas not
wholly Frarklin's. be urges that Franklin did not
repeat rs fundamental concept IN his later plan
Z I-75, he wonders WHY. Il Frsnkl-n had such
SrCar idea. he could have forgotten it later and
then he closes D. Challenging senator kE.x 20
Joint debate q the issue involved before the Bar
Association 4 The Disrrc1 o. CClUuhia-
But yC- can't debate the multiplication -ahIe-
Two times two are fCur. and arguing TIL co1msLzy
Won't max, II anything else The issue here IS enc
Of fact. and not of discussion
one part OF all this il IS possible 20
understand and that IS the charge that
I have shifted my ground and spread out
my plea for - ebster from one 70 four
basic principles" Il thus appears that
this writer. who seems 70 compose in a
ryn. has never read my statement OF
Webster's case I have never made but
one claim. and that IS that Pelatah
Webster announced, February IS I7S3. as
parts Of one invention, these four basic
principles
T. The principle Of a Federal government operat-
i2s directly the individual. instead of up1n the
States as corporations
. The division Il a FederlI r07oTumsnt INTO th-ee
teIartmcu-s-iegislatiye, executive, and judicial
g. The division Z Fsdcal legislature into two
chambers on the hlcameral plan.
g. A FEDERAL government with delegated powers
the reslGUm Z power remaining IN The States
Senator Knox has only attempted 20
gain for Franklin some credit for Origi-
mating the first. he makes no claim as 10
the remainder. The Senator's contention
is that in a provincial assembly held az
Albany IN 1754 under the auspices Of the
British Crown, an attempt was made 10
form some kind Of a colonial union for
the purpose Of fighting the Indians. and
that in that meeting. q plan OF union
was presented by Franklin which con-
tanned the germ of the first principle
stated by Webster in I7S3- The Press is
right in saying that an issue OF fact IS
thus made up In dispoSing Of that issue
OF fact, have demonstrated Cd that the
plan presented by Franklin in II58 was
not his own. Prof AIcNIaster SAYS IL
-belOngS 70 Daniel Coke His words are
The detail belongs 10 Franklin The
plan must be ascribed % Coke" (2) The
same high authority says BY each the
grand council, with consent Of the gov
ernor general. was 10 determine the quo
tas Of men, money, and provisions tire
colonies should contribute TO the COM
mon defense That d;spCses Of the whole
matter by proving that the plan Of taxa
tion proposed was the old requisition plan
by quotas. contained in the Articles OF
Confederation. and not the new plan OF
direct national taxation invented by Web
ster in iIS3
50 even II Franklin was the author OF
the plan OF 1874. g would avail nothing. as
II did not contain the germ" which the
acute Senator fancied he had discovered.
90 But apart from all this. the fact that
Franklin demonstrated in the Articles OF
Confederation which he drafted. as
whole. in 17-5-tha,F he had no conception
whatever OF the principle which Senator
Knox fancies ne invented in I754. really
removes the subject from the field OF con-
troversy. The great Senator in the midst
Of large affairs simply made a has5y in
vestigation which entirely misied him. I
have no doubt he will always regret that
in making an nl-advised attempt TO add
20 the fame Of Franklin. he has brought
10 light the one stupendous failure with
which his name is connected. AS the
sole architect Of the Articles Of Confed-
GRAFTON. Franklin had such an opportunity
as no other man ever had 20 originate new
Federal principles As all the world
knows. h. originated nothing. suggested
nothing The result of his failure in
volved his country in a SAD plight. from
which it was rescued by the genius OF
Pelatlah Webster. HANNIS TAYLOR