, and not as a particular set of agitators, prefer.
No district officer anxious to maintain the peace of his district can
allow a recrudescence of these disturbances. I have seen it denied that
there have been such cases, but the state calendar of crime is there to
refute such an assertion; and you and I well know that the cases which
have been brought to trial bear a very small proportion to the cases
which have arisen but which the raiyats have been afraid to press home.
When we remember the enormous power of the zemindar following from the
unfortunate absence of any record of right upon which the tenant can
lean, and rely, we can well understand how a raiyat hesitates to oppose
his landlord's will. I have seen, it claimed that such advocacy of the
boycott is a constitutional right. The extraordinary fallacy of this
assertion hardly needs refuting. With a democratic Government an appeal
to the public is an appeal to the Government, as it is an appeal to the
voter who appoints the member of Parliament who appoints the Government.
Such a condition does not exist in this country, and when an agitator
who wishes to press his views on Government says that the boycott will
be preached until Government takes a particular course which Government
has decided is not for the good of the people, and has announced that it
will not adopt, such an appeal is not a constitutional act nor an appeal
to Government but an act of defence and open resistance to Government.
This Government now as always will do what it believes to be in the best
interests of the people. It will always give such regard as it can to
respectful representations, even when they come from a small minority
only of the population; but appeals to force and violence, appeals to
the mob for race hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness, do not
constitute constitutional agitation. I would say a few words on the
mischief of the boycott agitation. The boycott agitation has been the
curse of this province for the past five years, causing endless
suffering and unrest, obstructing the path of progress, exciting
ill-feeling between Government and the people, and hindering their
co-operation in the work of reconstitution and reform. The agitation has
displayed itself in many evil forms, all tending to oppression, and
lawlessness."

"MANY-HEADED MISCHIEF."

It is difficult to review this many-headed mischief in a few words, but
its main features may readily be brought to min