Madam, – To all those who wish peacefully to protest and fear taking to the streets, I believe that they yet have great power and influence: to boycott.
Let the Government, landlord and banker share the pain they have inflicted.
In 1880 the Irish Land League proposed that when dealing with greedy landlords and agents, rather than resorting to violence, everyone in the locality should ostracise them.
This policy was first applied to one Captain Boycott, the land agent of an absentee landlord. Despite the short-term economic hardship to those undertaking this action, Boycott soon found himself isolated – his workers stopped work in the fields and stables, as well as in his house.
Local businessmen stopped trading with him, and the local postman refused to deliver mail.
Boycotting swept the country. Any landlord attempting to evict tenants suddenly found himself powerless.
Evictions fell sharply. The Land League and thus the once-downtrodden people were the real victors in this episode which captured the imagination of the world. – Yours, etc,