The climatic conditions here are certainly not more unfavourable to such an experiment in agriculture than they were at first supposed to be in the Pennsylvanian counties of York and Lancaster.

Of course the Imperial excise would deal with it as harshly as it is now dealing with a similar experiment in England.

But the Irish tobacco-growers would not now have to fear such hostile legislation as ruined the Irish linen industries in the last century.

The "Moonlighters" of 1888 lineally represent, if they do not simply reproduce, the "Whiteboys" of 1760; and the domination of the "uncrowned king" constantly reminds one of Froude's vivid and vigorous sketch of the sway wielded by "Captain Dwyer" and "Joanna Maskell" from Mallow to Westmeath, between the years 1762 and 1765.

On that side of the quarrel there seems to be nothing very new under the sun in Ireland.