What Federal taxes could with most advantage be abolished or reduced?

Is it an infringement upon the rights of citizens for a government to levy taxes for any other purpose than revenue?

Has a State a moral (or constitutional) right to tax the property of its citizens situated beyond the jurisdiction or territory of the taxing power?

Can a mortgage be considered property independent of the real estate upon which it is a lien ?

SUFFRAGE AND BALLOT REFORM.

TERMS FOR DEFINITION.

Suffrage. Ballot. Primary. Caucus. Nomination. Election. Representative. Delegate.

SUBJECTS FOR ESSAYS.

The history of suffrage in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France. The Australian system of voting; experience of it in Australia, Great Britain and Canada. Its adoption in the United States, and the modifications which appear in the ballotreform acts of various States. The legislation ensuing upon ballotreform in Australia, Great Britain and Canada, such as the Corrupt Practices Acts, and the like. Minority representation, as advocated by Hare, Mill and others. The town meeting, primary and caucus. The history of woman suffrage in Wyoming Territory. In Washington Territory. The scrutin d'arrondissement. The scrutin de liste.

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE.

Is suffrage a natural right or a political privilege?

Should there be a property qualification for suffrage?—or an educational qualification?

Should electors for President and Vice-President be elected by the vote of congressional districts with two at large for each State, instead of upon general ticket?

Should the President be elected directly by the people?

Should he be eligible for re-election?

Should his term of office be extended?

Should judges be chosen by popular vote?

Are annual elections for State officers preferable to biennial ? Should the boundaries of congressional districts be subject to rearrangement for political reasons?

Should the members of the (national) House of Representatives be chosen, like the two Senators, without regard to residence in any particular locality in the State of which they are citizens?

Would it be well to abolish all restrictions as to residence in particular districts, counties or States, when nominating candidates for State or national office?

Ought considerations of national or State politics to affect the voter's action in municipal matters ?

Has the election of women as officers of school boards in several States proved beneficial?

Should voting be compulsory?

Is there under existing circumstances any moral cowardice in secret voting?

If voting is intended to be secret, is there any reason for opposing the Australian ballot?

Is it ever justifiable for a minority, believing themselves in the right, to resist by force laws they hold to be wrong, imposed by a majority?

According to present methods, a party whose representatives have been elected by narrow majorities may be in power as against a party polling a larger popular vote. What is the best remedy for this?

It has been proposed that farmers, operatives, artisans, and so on, as such, should elect representatives to the State Legislatures and to Congress. Would this be an improvement on current methods? Could the methods of the town meeting be applied to State and national elections?

Is woman suffrage desirable?

CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

TERMS FOR DEFINITION.

Pass examination. Competitive examination. System." A "political assessment."

SUBJECTS FOR ESSAYS.

The "Spoils

The history and principles of the civil service reform movement in the United States. Its moral claims. The British system of civil service; its history, methods and lessons. The civil service of the United States; its history, defects and remedies. Rotation in office; the arguments for and against it. The degree of civil service reform which may be accomplished by the Executive independently of Congress. The history of the "spoils system" and of political assessments in the United States. The limitations which efficiency in the civil service imposes upon the partisan activity of those holding public office. The limitations of legitimate party action as to the selection and duties of civil servants.

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE.

Would competitive examinations, tenure during good behavior and promotion for merit be sufficient guarantee for a good civil service?

Is civil service reform essentially democratic in spirit and tendency?

Would its introduction tend to purify parties?

Would it improve the administration of municipal corporations? Would it benefit the government of towns and villages?

Is rotation in office defensible or advantageous on any theory? Is it an evil that the confirmation of the Senate is necessary to the appointment of so many civil servants of the United States ? Do political assessments tend to make the civil service inefficient?

Does the efficiency of the civil service require that its officers should be prohibited from taking part in political management?

Can the withdrawal of office-holders from political management be best effected by executive and legislative action, or by the pressure of public opinion?

Is the force of our civil service unnecessarily large for the work performed?

Should faithful civil servants, when retired, be pensioned?

Under a democratic form of government, ought pensions to be granted by the government to any person who has other ample or adequate means of support?

Is the compensation of our civil servants generally too large?

In engaging employees, should there be any difference between the methods of business men and those proper for a government? Would the evils of permanency in office, if civil servants retained their places during good behavior, outweigh the benefits?

Ought the promotion of subordinates to be a principle of civil service control?

Is a civil servant entitled to a reason when during his term of office his resignation is required?

Should a civil servant resign on request, when he believes that he has faithfully performed the duties of his office?

Should a civil service examination be divided, so that by a pass examination there might be sifted out those who, on general grounds, are not qualified to compete?

Should a civil service examination be conducted, where that is possible, by those who are not the subordinates of the appointing officer?

Should all the records relating to civil service examinations be open to public inspection ?

Are United States District Attorneys properly "political" officers? What means can be adopted to enable the President to obtain, without reference to Senators or Representatives, the information necessary for intelligent action in making removals and appointments?

Should the management of the post-office system be de-centralized by the establishment of districts within which might be performed a

large part of the functions now managed in detail at the Post Office Department?

Would not the character of elective officers probably be raised, should the number of elective officers be greatly diminished so that it might be possible for the voter to have knowledge of their qualifications ?

Would the election of postmasters be wise?

The municipal governments of New York, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia, detailing recent changes therein. The municipal governments of London, Paris, Vienna and Berlin; their lessons.

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE.

Should municipal government be organized on the plan of a State government or that of a financial corporation?

Is the New England town meeting the cheapest and most effective system of municipal government?

Should cities be divided into wards for legislation after the manner of the town meeting?

Should the administration of police, health and other departments of a municipal government be intrusted to boards or commissions ap pointed by the Governor of the State? Or by the State legislature? Or by the Mayor of the city?

Should the only executive officer elected in a city be a Mayor, who should appoint and be responsible for the action of all other ex ecutive officers ?

Should boards of aldermen be elected in part each year, or as a whole each second, third or fourth year?