152 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



that makes much of the difficulty. Agitations are in 

 substance got up by the agitators, upon the remains 

 of the ill-will of former days, and are purposely 

 contrived to give all the trouble possible in every 

 way. Every one in them means to go as far as he 

 can, without getting himself personally into trouble. 

 The more bad motives and ill-will he can infuse, and 

 the more alarm and excitement he can cause, the 

 more his end is attained. 



Yet all this time the real danger to the peace of 

 the country is very small, as all sensible men, and 

 even the agitators too, know well. Of course, the 

 classes which would gain by the agitation, if it could 

 succeed, back it up as well as they can. Why should 

 they not do so ? If agitators in England proposed to 

 give a great dole to some poor class out of the 

 pockets of another class, would they too not shout 

 for it? What does the fear of Socialism on the 

 Continent, especially in Germany, mean ? Its root 

 is the same as that of Irish agitation. 



But in Ireland the class that hopes to gain by it 

 has no idea of committing itself. If the agitation 

 succeeds, it will gain something. If it fails, it loses 

 nothing that it had before. It is just making-believe, 

 like all the rest. I firmly believe the mass of the 

 people are quiet and willing to obey the law, only they 

 cannot resist trying what can be had at the cost of 

 others by scheming, when the hope is held out to them. 



7. Another great need of the country is more 



