I cannot conclude the story of this movement without paying a brief tribute of respect and gratitude to those true patriots who have borne the daily burden of the work.  I hope the picture I have given of their aims and achievements will lead to a just appreciation of their services to their country.  By these men and women applause or even recognition was not expected or desired:  they knew that it was to those who had the advantages of leisure, and what the world calls position, that the credit for their work would be given.  But it is of national importance that altruistic service should be understood and given freedom of expansion.  I have, therefore, presented as faithfully as I could the origin and development of one of the least understood, but in my opinion, most fruitful movements which has ever been undertaken by a body of social and economic reformers.  As Irish leaders they have preferred to remain obscure, conscious that the most damaging criticism which could be applied to their work would be that it depended on their own personal qualities or acts for its permanent utility.  But most assuredly the real conquerors of the world are those who found upon human character their hopes of human progress.

FOOTNOTES: 

[37] The story of the conversion of some of the tenants on the Vandeleur estate into a co-operative community in 1831 by Mr. E.T.  Craig, a Scotchman who took up the agency of the property, told in the History of Ralahine (London, Truebner & Co., 1893) is worth reading.  The experiment, most hopeful as far as it went, was only two years in existence when the landlord gambled away his property at cards in a Dublin club and the Utopia was sold up.  But in the co-operative world Mr. Craig, who died as recently as 1894, is revered as the author of the most advanced experiment in the realisation of co-operative ideals.  The economic significance of the narrative is obviously not important, and I doubt whether joint ownership of land, except for the purpose of common grazing, is a practical ideal.  The ready response, however, of the Irish peasants to Mr. Craig’s enthusiasm and the way in which they took up the idea form an interesting study of the Irish character.

[38] The late Canon Bagot had done good service in explaining the value of the new machinery; but unhappily the vital importance of co-operative organisation was not then understood.  He formed some joint stock companies with the result that, having no co-operative spirit to offset their commercial inexperience, they all proved, instead of co-operative successes, competitive failures.  This fact added to our early difficulties.