"Agitate! Agitate! Ought to be the motto of every reformer. Agitation is the opposite of stagnation - the one is life, the other death"

This quote by Ernestine L. Rose is a call to action for reformers. She is highlighting the value of agitation, or stimulating action, in order to bring about modification. She is suggesting that stagnancy, or a lack of action, is the very same as death. In other words, if reformers do not do something about it, then their efforts will be in vain. Rose is motivating reformers to be proactive and to take the initiative to make a distinction. She is recommending that agitation is the essential to success which it is the only method to bring about significant change. By upseting, reformers can produce a ripple effect that will result in positive and long lasting modification.