Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1917 — FRANKLIN STIRS THE FRENCH [ARTICLE]

FRANKLIN STIRS THE FRENCH

•mm Beede of Revolution White Act, Ing as American Minister at Parte. JBenjamin Franklin, as American minister to France, sowed the seeds of the French revolution and of constitutional government in Europe, according to Dr. David Jayne HiU, formerly ambassador to Germany. TrankUn became a erase,” Doctor Bill said recently, “and undoubtedly ' wna one of the greatest diplomatists in our history. His picture was everywhere and everywhere he was courted, other places where he was InWed was to the Society of Nine’ Sisters and other Free Mason organisations. In these he preached constitutionalism in an adroit fashion. Later ho became the venerable of the Nine Bisters and became acquainted with men who later figured prominently In the revolution. - "But when Franklin arrived in France there was no inkling of a revolution there. He did not preach against the Ung who received him. There was no secret conspiracy or anything of that sort. Franklin merely used those organizations as a means of propagating constitutional doctrines. It might be called his school of constitutionalism." Doctor Hill said that while Franklin lived at Passy he had a small printing press in his home. It was generally said that this was used by the minister to print “bagatelles,’’ or bits of rhyme, as a sort of hobby, because Franklin once had been a printer. But he employed a compositor at one time and ordered large quantities of type, and tt is believed that he used the printing press to propagate his doctrines.