120 THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



In 1727, still only twenty-one, he drew together a 

 number of young men in a sort of club, called the 

 " Junto," for mutual benefit in business and for the 

 discussion of morals, politics, and natural philosophy. 

 They professed tolerance, benevolence, love of truth. 

 They discussed the effect on business of the issue of 

 paper money, various natural phenomena, and kept 

 a sharp look-out for any encroachment on the rights 

 of the people. It is not unnatural to find that in a 

 year or two (1729), after Franklin and a friend had 

 established a printing business of their own and ac- 

 quired the Pennsylvania Gazette, the young poli- 

 tician championed the cause of the Massachusetts 

 Assembly against the claims first put forward by 

 Governor Burnet, and that he used spirited language 

 referring to America as a nation and clime foreign 

 to England. 



In 1730 Franklin bought out his partner, and in 

 the same year published dialogues in the Socratic 

 manner in reference to virtue and pleasure, which 

 show a rapid development in his general views. 

 About the same time he married, restored the money 

 that had long been owing, and formulated his ethical 

 code and religious creed. He began in 1732 the Poor 

 Richard Almanacks, said to offer in their homely 

 wisdom the best course in existence in practical 

 morals. 



As early as 1729 Franklin had published a pam- 

 phlet on Paper Currency. It was a well-reasoned 

 discussion on the relation of the issue of paper cur- 

 rency to rate of interest, land values, manufactures, 

 population, and wages. The want of money discour- 

 aged laboring and handicraftsmen. One must con- 



