A History of the University of Pennsylvania from Its Foundation to A. D. 1770/Chapter 5
In 1736 he sought entrance into public life, the better to further his favoring fortunes, and he was chosen clerk of the General Assembly in October of that year,[1] "for which office he petitioned the House in succession to Joseph Growden." Governor Gordon had died in the summer, and James Logan as President of the Council became the head of the Provincial government until the arrival of Governor Thomas two years later. This doubtless was the influence that secured what Franklin terms "my first promotion." He, as usual, makes no secret of the reasons for his wishing the office:
besides the pay for the immediate service as clerk, the place gave me a better opportunity of keeping up an interest among the members, which secured to me the business of printing the votes, laws, paper money, and other occasional jobbs for the public, that, on the whole were very profitable.
He was annually chosen to this office for fourteen years, and herein he trained himself for his later political life. It was but at thirty years of age this native of a northern province attained to this important position, and without contradiction; but his second term was not reached without opposition, which arose
from a new member in order to favor some other candidate. * * * He was a gentleman of fortune and education, with talents that were likely to give him in time great influence in the House which indeed afterwards happened.
But Franklin won in the contest and later placated this member by one of those clever strokes of ingenuity which he often exercised successfully to divert enmities; and when recording the story concludes by saying this "shows how much more profitable it is prudently to remove, than to resent, return, and continue inimical proceedings: he ever after manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death."[2]
In October of the following year, 1737, he was appointed postmaster by Colonel Spotswood, formerly governor of Virginia and now postmaster general, succeeding his competitor in business, Andrew Bradford, who had been postmaster since 1725 and who was now removed for reasons affecting his lack of care and exactness in framing and rendering his accounts. He tells us,
I accepted it readily, and found it of great advantage; for, though the salary was small, it facilitated the correspondence that improv'd my newspaper, increas'd the number demanded, as well as the advertisements to be inserted, so that it came to afford me a considerable income. But, [he adds,] my old competitor's newspaper declined proportionably, and I was satisfy'd without retaliating his refusal, while postmaster, to permit my papers being carried by the riders.
This appointment was unwelcome to Bradford and his friends and warmed into life animosities which bore fruit in later years. With these two public offices in hand, Franklin tells us,[3] "I began now to turn my thoughts a little to public affairs, beginning however with small matters." The city watch was reformed by the suggestions he made and the measures he succeeded in consummating aided by the influence of his friends of the Junto. Fire prevention as well exercised his thoughts, and he wrote a paper, first read in the junto and afterwards published,
on the different accidents and carelessnesses by which houses were set on fire. This gave rise to a project, which soon followed it, of forming a company for the more ready extinguishing of fires, and mutual assistance in removing and securing of goods when in danger. Associates in this scheme were presently found, amounting to thirty.
Such was the origin of the Union Fire Company, established 7 December, 1736, the first fire company in Philadelphia.[4]
The utility of this institution soon appeared, and many more desiring to be admitted than we thought convenient for one company, they were advised to form another, which was accordingly done; and this went on, one new company being formed after another, till they became so numerous as to include most of the inhabitants who were men of property.
The author of these practical reforms had not passed beyond his thirty-first year, yet he exhibited the skill and experience, and exerted the influence on his fellow citizens, of a man of threescore.