The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-01-11

the first opponents of those
principles. But now q scholarly
historian, whose opinions based
upon patient and dilIgent study. certainly should
De more acceptable than the windy, vote-catchIng
platitudes of campaign orator, tells US that the
true gathers OF American Democracy were two
men dfmed Franklln-Benjamin Franklin, whose
memory we honor January II, his birthday,
and Benjamin Franklin Bache, his grandson
This historian Is Bernard Fay Frenchman who
divides his time between France and America,
and his thesis Is uttered In the book 'The Two
Franklins: Fathers of American Democracy
published recently by Little. Brown and Com
pany.
SO much has been written about Benjamin
Franklin tincludlng Mr. Fay's previous book,
Benjamin Franklin: The Apostle OF Modern
Times" which has been pronounced "ncompar-
ably the best biography of Franklin yet pub
lishedD that there seems to be little left to add
to the record OF his life and services to the
American nation. But very little has ever been
said about his grandson, or the historical impor-
lance of Benjamin Franklin Bache.
Students Of the history of American journal
Ism have known him az the founder Of the Phil
adelphia General Advertiser. which later became
the Aurora, In which, while attempting to break
the power Of the Federallst party he attacked
Washington. even going to the lengths OF declar-
Ing that IF ever a nation was debauched by a
man, the American nation has been by Washing
ton He attacked John AdamsS and his attacks
on the second President of the United States
led directly to the passage OF the Allen and SedI-
ton laws, under which statutes Bache was ar
rested for libel but was not prosecuted. But
Bache more than "scnrrlous young Jour-
nast who yapped at the Father of His Country"
Fay presents him as the man who carried on
the Gathering of Democratic principles In this
country after that other father" Franklin, was
dead and OF bringing about second American
Revolution" one OF which most Americans are
unaware. In the preface to his book Fay says:
"A revolution Is change OF mind. There have
been few radical changes of mind than the
which took place In America between 1870
and 1900. But when historians describe the down.
fall Of the Federasts and the victory Of the new
Democratic Republican party during these years
they always speak In terms of Jefferson and
Hamilton. They do not exhibit change Of mind
They merely stage picturesque fight between
two very great men, and two very attractive
men.
AS see the matter, while Hamilton opposed
this change and Jefferson made use OF It, 1t was
other men who effected this change OF mind.
propose TO deal mostly with these other men,
and, above ALL with one of them who strikes me
as the most outspoken, the most reckless the
most generous, and the most neglected. His
name was Bache"
Benny Bache, as Fay likes to call him, was
born on August IL, 1869, the son OF Sarah
Franklin and Richard Bache, a Philadelphia
merchant, described as "smple-minded man,
friendly and joval, with nothing OF a great
man about him." SO Ii Benny Bache had any
rf L., - tIrf4
from his father. He got 1t from bis mother who
passed on to him some of the greatness of her
father.
The boy soon became q favorite of his grand
fathers 30 when Franklin went to Paris In 1776
to negotiate an alliance with France for the re-
bellious colonies he took his n-year-old grand
son along with him. There the boy soon became
too French" his grandfather, resolved to
make him "a Presbyterian as we'll as a Repub
lican,r sent him to Geneva for his education
Franklin had another grandson In Paris with
hm-Temple Franklin the illegitimate son of his
own f1legitimate son, William Franklin,
But Temple Franklin was an aloof, frigld sort
OF boy, so far real affection for his grand
father was concerned. Therefore, Franklin, in
1883, brought Benny back from Geneva and de-
lighted by the warmth Of feeling that was imme
dately apparent between them, he decided to
make the young man his masterpiece" SO for
two years Benny Bache breathed the intoxicating
air OF Passy. Paris and Versailles where he was
made much Of as the grandson OF Franklin, the
"oracle Of two worlds" He shared In his grand
fathers talks with the philosophers and the sci
entsts who came to see Franklin and he fol-
lowed his grandfather's footsteps In pursuing
those interests which made Franklin ''the most
versatile American"
Then Franklin decided sin order to round of
Benny's philosophical apprenticeship, to make a
printer out OF him. At the outset from Novem-
Der, 1884, to March, 1875, he gave him n his
master a printer and type founder, M. Emery,
who came to Passy every day. he supervised
their work himself; 1t revived Ia him delightful
memories OF his own adventurous, hard child
hood" Thus Benny Bache was pointed toward
his later career a printer and a journalist
But France had done something else for him.
There he absorbed some Of those democratic
principles tor the French Revolution was A.
ready In the air) which we're to make him
future fighter against aristocracy In American
government
Then Franklin wrote an attack on the Society