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History
: An Anecdote of Dr. Franklin
by Thomas Jefferson
WHEN the Declaration of Independence
was under the consideration of Congress, there were two or three unlucky
expressions in it which gave offence to some members. The word "Scotch
and other foreign auxiliaries" excited the ire of a gentleman or two of
that country. Severe strictures on the conduct of the British King, in
negotiating our repeated repeals of the law which permitted the importation of
slaves, were disapproved by some Southern gentlemen, whose reflections were not
yet matured to the full abhorrence of that traffic. Although the offensive
expressions were immediately yielded, these gentlemen continued their
depredations on other parts of the instrument. I was sitting by Dr. Franklin, who
perceived that I was not insensible to these mutila- tions. "I have made
it a rule," said he, "whenever in my power, to avoid becoming the
draughtsman of papers to be reviewed by a public body. I took my lesson from an
incident which I will relate to you. When I was a journeyman printer, one of
my companions, an apprentice hatter, having served out his time, was about to
open shop for himself. His first concern was to have a handsome sign- board,
with a proper inscription. He composed it in these words, 'John Thompson,
Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money,' with a figure of a hat
subjoined; but he thought he would submit it to his friends for their
amendments. The first he showed it to thought the word 'Hatter' tautologous,
because followed by the words 'makes hats,' which show he was a hatter. It was
struck out. The next observed that the word 'makes' might as well be omitted,
because his customers would not care who made the hats. If good and to their
mind, they would buy, by whomsoever made. He struck it out. A third said he
thought the words 'for ready money' were useless as it was not the custom of
the place to sell on credit. Every one who purchased expected to pay. They
were parted with, and the inscription now stood, 'John Thompson sells hats.'
'Sells hats,' says his next friend! Why nobody will expect you to give them
away, what then is the use of that word? It was stricken out, and 'hats'
followed it, the rather as there was one painted on the board. So the
inscription was reduced ultimately to 'John Thompson' with the figure of a hat
subjoined."
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Historic Triangle