chooses the President from the three names highest on the list, a majority of all the States being necessary to a choice. The. senators choose the Vice-President from the two highest on that list, a majority of all the senators being necessary to a choice. What is the use of the Electoral College? It was supposed that the electors would be eminent citizens exercising free choice among all eligible citizens in electing a President. But it has proved that they only register the choice of the people, between candidates designated, in the earlier years, by Congressional caucuses, and now by the national nominating conventions of the great political parties. The Electoral College is therefore of very little, if any, use. What are the qualifications for President? He must be a natural-born (i. e., not naturalized) citizen, at least thirty-five years of age, and for fourteen years a resident of this country. The Vice-President must possess the same qualifications. Who is the President's successor? In case of his removal from office by impeachment, or of his death, resignation, or disability during the four years of his term, the Vice-President takes his place. If there be no Vice-President, then, according to the new law (1886), the members of the Cabinet, beginning with the Secretary of State, are next in succession. What is the Cabinet? Seven citizens chosen by the President as his personal advisers, heading each a particular department of the administration of business. Who is the chief of these? The Secretary of State, at the head of the State Department. He countersigns all documents signed by the President, and seals them with the seal of the nation, of which he is the keeper. He has charge of keeping and furnishing true copies of the laws. He has charge of all relations with foreign governments, and of all representatives of the United States in other countries, such as ministers and consuls. Who ranks next? The Secretary of the Treasury, at the head of the Treasury Department. He has charge of all moneys of the United States in the treasury at Washington, or in the sub-treasuries in different cities; of the mint, where coins are made, and of the printing of currency; of the internal revenue and the customs revenue, including the revenue marine service; also of the coast-survey, light-houses, and life-saving and marine hospital services. Who next? The Secretary of War, at the head of the War Department. He has charge of all army affairs, including those of State militia when called into the service of the United States; also of the Military Academy at West Point, the signal service or weather bureau, and of certain national explorations. Who next? The Secretary of the Navy, at the head of the Navy Department. He has charge of all navy affairs, including navy-yards, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Naval Observatory, and the Nautical Almanac work; the hydrographic office, by which sea-charts are prepared; and the marine corps. Who next? The Postmaster-General, at the head of the Post-Office Department, in charge of all postal affairs. Who next? The Secretary of the Interior, at the head of the In terior Department. He has charge of the public lands, of pensions, of Indian affairs, of patents, of the geological survey, of the statistics of education, labor, and railroads, and every ten years of the taking of the census. Who next? The Attorney-General, at the head of the Department of Justice. He is the law officer of the government, for giving legal opinions and for carrying on lawsuits in behalf of the government in the courts. THE CIVIL SERVICE. What is the civil service? The officials and clerks by whom the details of the people's business in the administration of government are carried on. How many are there? Over 120,000 in all. How are they appointed? About 5,000 by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The great body, especially of postmasters, by the heads of departments. About 15,000 under what is known as "civil-service reform," through competitive examinations." What are competitive examinations? A means of giving every citizen an equal opportunity to enter the government service, and of choosing the most fit applicant for each place. How is this done? The Civil-Service Commission give public notice that men are needed for certain places, and prescribe questions to test their fitness for the place. These questions are such as a business man would ask an applicant for employment, covering character, recommendations, gen eral knowledge, and particular fitness for the special work. These questions are answered in writing. The four who grade best are certified to the appointing officer, and if two are of even merit, an honorably discharged soldier or sailor, if found qualified, is entitled to the preference. Why was civil-service reform necessary? Because the public offices had come to be filled not by men selected to do the people's work for which they were paid, but by men chosen by politicians to serve a party. In the early days of the republic men were kept in office during good behavior. But by Jackson's time it began to be a custom to turn men out and put new ones in at each change of administration, on the ground, as Secretary Marcy put it, that "to the victors belong the spoils." Men appointed to pay off political debts and serve party ends did not do their work well, and the work cost the people more. POPULATION AND WEALTH. How many people now live in the United States? 783, of whom a third (17,392,099) were earners. What is the wealth of the nation? Over $50,000,000,000, about $880 per head, or $2,600 per worker. The census (1880) reckoned $44,000,000,ooo, half of it lands and houses. This half was made up of farms, $10,197,000,000; residence and business real-estate, $9,881,000,000; public buildings, churches, etc., not taxed, $2,000,000,000. Oneeighth was railroads ($5,536,000,000); another eighth, household furniture and supplies ($5,000,000,000); the other quarter, live stock and farm tools ($2,406,000,000), mines and quarries ($781,000,000), telegraphs, ships and canals ($419,000,000), specie ($612,000,000), miscellaneous, including mechanics' tools ($650,000,000), and the stock of products and imports ($6,160,000,000,-reckoned as three-quarters the annual supply). What are the earnings of the nation? The annual product is now about $10,000,000,000; the census (1880) gave $8,500,000,000. Of this, onetenth is used on the farms, leaving $9,000,000,000 exchangeable for money. Is this evenly divided? No. It has been reckoned that in 1880, 50 persons had $1,000,000 income per year; 2,000, $100,000 per year; 100,000, $10,000 per year; a million $1,000 per year; fourteen million, under $400 per year each. How much would an even division give each earner? About $450 per year, or under $1.50 for each of 300 working days. This is less than 45 cents for each of the 365 days for each person in the country. Could wealth and income be kept evenly divided? No, because some men are smart, busy, and saving; others stupid, lazy, and wasteful. Laws cannot make equal what nature has made unequal. At the end of a year, what the careful men had saved, would go to the lazy; the worker would see he gained nothing by working hard; product would diminish; and even the poorest would not have as much as before. But cannot the present inequality be bettered? Yes, by increasing production, by preventing waste, by correcting methods of distribution which make "the rich richer and the poor poorer," by the lessening of public burdens, and by a more wholesome public opinion as to spending. How is production to be increased? By the use of labor-saving machinery, by inducing |