254 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



this country ; but, as I understand him, he believes that they 

 must come here and become American citizens. 



Mr. BowEN. That is the idea. America is open. We 

 welcome all immic^rants who come here with "rood feelings 

 towards our country and will adopt the country as their 

 own ; but we do not wish them to come here for speculative 

 purposes. 



Mr. Taft. There is another question I would like to 

 ask. I understood the essayist to say that he was in favor 

 of a higher tariff on wool. About two years ago the Board 

 heard a very eloquent essay at Boston, at one of their meet- 

 ings, on this question: "What does the tariff do for the 

 farmer ? " and the essayist in the course of his address said : 

 " I have on a suit of clothes for which I paid seventy-five 

 dollars in Boston ; repeal the tariff laws and I will buy them 

 for twenty-five dollars, and you can get your clothes for 

 thirty-two per cent, less than you have to pay now." He 

 was applauded by the members of this Board. I believe I 

 was the only member of this Board — no, the present Secre- 

 tary was with me — who did not echo the sentiment. There 

 was a motion made by a good doctor down here in Fitchburg 

 to thank the essayist for his essay. I said : " That is very 

 well, gentlemen, if you thank him for its literary character; 

 but as a matter of business, I question whether it is right for 

 this Board to adopt the views presented by the gentleman." 

 I think the essayist was Mr. Joseph S. Fay of Boston. I 

 got the idea there that the members of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture believed, contrary to my judgment, that the tariff was 

 too high. 



Dr. Bo^VEiS^. I will say that that is substantially the 

 opinion expressed by our worthy President in his message. 

 He took up the subject of the tariff and illustrated it in 

 the same way to which the gentleman has referred. He did 

 not go a little deeper and see that the American manufac- 

 turer, when obliged to compete with the foreign manufac- 

 turer, would say to his operatives; "I cannot go out of 

 business ; I must sustain m3'self and m}^ family ; therefore, I 

 must reduce your wages. Where I have paid you two dollars 

 a da}', I will pay you one ; " and the operatives would turn 

 round to the farmer and say : " Mr. Farmer, we have been 



