TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING. 135 



studying this question. X<>w. the minute you get into poh- 

 tics on a question Hke this, I know it makes a world of 

 trouble. I am a free trader, or light protectionist, at least. 

 If Mr. Taft had said "Let's reduce the duty 20 per cent this 

 year and next year 20 per cent, I would have been in favor 

 of it. But he proposes to cut off 25 cents a bushel on pota- 

 toes, 75 cents a barrel on apples, and $4 a ton on hay at once, 

 and five cents a dozen on eggs, and what do you farmers get 

 for all that? What are the manufacturers giving up for this? 

 NOTHING. It is a jack-knife handle arrangement, and you 

 are the victims. (Applause.) 



Mr. Riddick : I would like to ask one question ; doesn't 

 the professor think that this is a step ultimately for free trade 

 the country wide? 



Prof. Henry : I hope it is, sir, I hope that this country 

 is big enough to let in the products of every other country 

 free, so far as they can be. I am a free trader at heart, but 

 I don't believe in starting in all on one side, and letting the 

 other fellow have it his way. 



A [Member : We have got quite a question to consider 

 when we have the vast population of the laboring classes, and 

 there is a good deal of sentiment about it. but it is a large 

 question to some people. This gentleman didn't say let in 

 fish from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, he left that out. 

 I don't believe in taking off duties altogether on our vegeta- 

 bles at present, but you must understand we are up against 

 it. There is a large class of people that think prices of living 

 are too high, and they have laid it all at the door of the 

 farmers. You all of you know that it is laid at the door 

 of the farmers because eggs are high, and butter is high, and 

 things of that kind, and apples were high, but they don't 

 explain that in the press or anywhere, but you must under- 

 stand, when you are talking about these things, that we are 

 up against the laboring class, the same people that are de- 

 mandinsf these things. 



