RALAHINE AND ITS TEACHINGS 461 



Self-government at Ralahine. 



But although these admirable rules and methods were 

 suggested by Mr. Craig it must not be thought that 

 any of them were forced upon the people. At the very 

 commencement each of them was put to the vote by 

 ballot of the adult members, and were only adopted by 

 them, after the purport and use of them had been 

 explained by Mr. Craig and fully considered among them- 

 selves. Even the rule against drink and tobacco was 

 accepted and strictly obeyed during the whole existence 

 of the society, apparently because they believed that 

 drinking would interfere with the general harmony, but no 

 doubt chiefly because they knew that it would lead to 

 neglect and bad work, and as all returns after paying the 

 fixed rent were to be their own property, they all wanted 

 to work as much and as effectively as possible. 



Mr. Craig remarks on the change produced in the 

 workers by this system of associated work and common 

 benefit as compared with the old system, almost universal 

 on large estates in Ireland, of badly paid uninterested 

 labourers under the absolute rule of a tyrannical 

 steward, who despised them and treated them as inferiors. 

 The orders they received were often accompanied by 

 oaths or personal insults, and they did as little work as 

 they could without being discharged. They were then 

 almost universally dissatisfied, and had the character of 

 being lazy; untrustworthy and vicious. As the steward 

 could not possibly be in all parts of the estate at once, 

 and had often to be away a considerable part of the day, 

 the loss to all parties must have been very great. 



Many persons now came to see Ralahine, not being able 

 to credit the accounts they heard of it. One of these, a 

 large Irish farmer, found a single man repairing the 

 masonry of a tunnel under a road, which had partly given 

 way, and to do it he was standing up to his middle in 

 water. The visitor was surprised, and the following conver- 

 sation took place : 



Visitor" Are you working by yourself? " 



Man." Yes, sir." 



