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We had a great time at our society last night. The question for debate was a complex economic one which had to be argued affirmatively from the standpoint of "protection," and negatively from the standpoint of "free trade." I was leading speaker on the negative and consequently had to argue against my convictions. I am glad that the affirmative won it. It would be a sorry state of affairs if "free-trade" should triumph - at this fin-de-siecle period of progress and intelligence. My colleague and I did the best we could, but it was a tremendous fight against great odds. We did as well as we could, and the kind critic of the evening complimented us highly on the way we handled a losing side. We made the best of a bad bargain. The critic praised me in particular