Mr. Richard H. Dana delivered a very interesting lecture last night at the College Conference meeting on "Reforms in Political Methods." He first showed in what quarters these reforms are necessary, and then gave a short sketch of the best methods to be adopted to bring them about.

The lecturer said in brief: The fundamental idea of integrity is just as necessary for the welfare of our country as liberty and equality are. Whereas the United States is a country which has grown up in simplicity, at present things have been changed a good deal and dishonesty of all kinds has slowly but surely crept in. To counteract this dishonesty and to crush it, is one of the greatest duties of the present generation.

One of the most urgent reforms is the ballot reform. An Australian ballot system has been adopted in a number of states, and will undoubtedly spread rapidly over the whole union. But will this Australian system do away with bribery? The experience of Australia and England tends to prove the contrary. Closely connected to a ballot reform is a much needed reform in the registration. In most states the registration laws are extremely lax; the registration lists are changed very rarely, and the result is that men who are dead or have changed their residence, shall figure on the old lists. This naturally leads to "personating," a matter very difficult to deal with; the best remedy so far proposed is a method of description of the voters.

A great step toward reform in political methods was the "Corrupt Practice Act" passed by the English parliament in 1883. The chief points of this act are that each candidate shall file a sworn statement of all money he receives for election expenses, and of all money he spends and others spend for him. The advantage of this is that candidates will enter the struggle on equal terms. Furthermore election contests are to be decided in court and not by legislatures; in court a man can get the best possible hearing, and is bound to have his case decided on its own merits, a thing legislatures do not always do. The penalty for bribery is increased to a great extent so that a candidate returned unfairly can be unseated and a new election held.

Another necessary reform is the Civil Service Reform, to obtain which many believe all that is needed is to enforce the law. But this is not the case. Civil Service Reform so far has touched only unimportant positions, clerkships in post offices, inferior places in custom houses, etc. What is needed is a reform which will be applicable to positions which require executive ability; to positions such as United States marshals, collectors of customs, and postmasters of all degrees. The president has to appoint three officers per-day to positions in various parts of the Union, and naturally cannot do his work efficiently; some change must be made and the best remedy is a competitive examination.

The laws against bribery are greatly strained at each presidential election owing to the system of an electoral college, in which at present one doubtful state, New York, casts the deciding vote. Bribery naturally is the order of the day in such a state of affairs, and the only remedy is to do away with the electoral college and to substitute some other system of election: say a division of electoral votes in each state according to the number of votes cast by each party.

Reform in the municipal government is necessary but difficult. There is such a combination of errors, that it is almost impossible to solve the question satisfactorily. A great step would consist in determining the responsibility for every action of city officials.

To bring about this reform the scientific method is most effective. Reformers and would be reformers must sift the matter to the core, they must go to work and examine systems deemed defective. They must study the grievances and their causes, and they will then, and only then see the evil as it really is. But for a reformer to devote himself to all reforms would be a senseless task. He must choose some single thing which he thinks needs reforming and do his best to bring about the desired reform. He must not work alone, however; he must join a small body of men, who have the same objects in view, and their combined efforts are bound to bear good fruit. Behind these small bodies there must be clubs and associations ready to give aid and influence to the more active reformers.