Benjamin Franklin also organized himself into the first Good Government Club on record. Backed by at least half the press of the city (for he owned one of the two newspapers), and unanimously supported by the postmaster, he demanded a regeneration of the city. Eventually, he succeeded in dispossessing the old constables, who served in rotation, and in securing a police force, paid for that special service. He organized a fire company, which not only operated its hand engine when necessary, but carried materials for covering and protecting goods. He was also the first of many exasperated persons to criticize the Philadelphia pavements. When later elected member of the Common Council, and then an Alderman and also a local Justice of Peace, Franklin, like some other good Philadelphia citizens, became rather apathetic. Nevertheless, these honors were not unwelcome, for he said of himself: “I shall never _Ask_, never _Refuse_, nor ever _Resign_ an office.” By this time Franklin was involved in the public life of the colony. In 1736, he obtained the office of clerk to the General Assembly, which he continued to hold for many years. [Illustration: PORTRAIT OF FRANKLIN Owned by H. C. Thompson, Philadelphia] Colonial affairs became especially important when war broke out with France and Spain in 1744. The Quakers were then the great problem in the Pennsylvania government, since their principles forbade them to fight, or even to vote money for military purposes. Franklin relates that by a judicious application of Madeira wine to the gullet of Governor Clinton of New York, he borrowed eighteen cannon for the defense of Philadelphia. He did more. He so aroused the Quakers that although they refused to authorize the purchase of powder for the army, “because that was an ingredient of war,” they voted an aid to New England of three thousand pounds to be put into the hands of the Governor, and appropriated it “for the purchase of bread, flour, wheat or other grain.” The Governor accepted with the remark, “I shall take the money, for I understand very well their meaning; _other grain_ is gunpowder.” Franklin himself suggested that the Quakers be importuned to permit the purchase of a fire engine; and then, said he, “we will buy a great gun, which is certainly a _fire engine_.”