PRACTICAL AGITATION

This book is an attempt to follow the track of personal influenceacross society. The first three chapters are taken up with discussionsof political reform, the fourth chapter with contemporary journalism.The results of these discussions are then summarized in the chapterscalled “Principles.”

I know that there are as many ways of stating the main idea of thebook as there are minds in the world. That idea is, that we can alwaysdo more for mankind by following the good in a straight line thanwe can by making concessions to evil. The illusion that it is wiseor necessary to suppress our instinctive love of truth comes froman imperfect understanding of what that instinctive love of truthrepresents, and of what damage happens both to ourselves andviii toothers when we suppress it. The more closely we look at the facts, themore serious does this damage appear. And on the other hand, the moreclosely we look at the facts, the more trifling, inconsequent, andabsurd do all those reasons appear which strive to make us accept, andthereby sanctify and preserve, some portion of the conceded evil in theworld.

J. J. C.

New York, February 5, 1900.