MR. GILDER'S LECTURE.

Last evening in the Fogg Art Museum, Mr. Richard Watson Gilder, the editor of the Century Magazine, gave an address under the auspices of the Student Volunteer Committee, on "Public Opinion in America." Before his main address, he gave a brief account of the work of the Tenement House Commission of 1894, which to a large extent remedied the wretched condition of the tenement district of New York City. Mr. Gilder then spoke on the general subject of public opinion in the United States. He said those who are watching most closely and keenly the trend of events note two tendencies; on the one hand a growth of public interest in purer government; a winning battle for the abolition of the spoils system; a growing independence among voters; a diminution of corruption in Congress; on the other hand, along with all this, a great deal of bribery at the polls; a growing domination of corrupt political machines; an increasing tyranny and recklessness of corrupt bosses. From Washington's time till ours the chief force in our public affairs has been the force of public opinion.

We cannot be pessimistic, we who in our own time have seen so many good things accomplished,- have seen slavery disappear and polygamy and international literary piracy; we who have seen the beginning of the protection of our forests; our ballot laws so vastly improved and the spoils system stricken a tall blow. But we shall meet with disaster after disaster in America-and perhaps one disaster more than even our constitution can stand, if we do not exert ourselves constantly in the elevation of public affairs.

It is evident that in order to overcome the defects in our caucus system of nominations, the degrading tendency of political machines, and the temptations of a busy people to neglect political duties, there needs to be a quickening of civic patriotism from one end of the country to the other. Our present political system would need no change to make it all that we wish, if public opinion were as persistent as it is on the whole honest and pure.

Addressing especially the Volunteer Committee, Mr. Gilder said: You young men are going to learn more things in your tasks of philanthropy than may be at first apparent, and I believe you are going to do much more good than you may have hoped to do. You will help other people, of course; but not only those with whom you now come in contact, but the communities in which you live. You will get a knowledge of the thought and life of the masses of the people; you will get interior views of economic and social problems which will be of very real use in civic and political as well as philanthropic work; in that kind of political work which the disinterested citizens of this country must more generally undertake or the country will drift into dangers which may lead to wreck. Among the things you will discover is the tremendous force of disinterested service; and the irresistible power of aroused public opinion for the accomplishment of every fort of good work. You will understand what Washington meant when he looked to that opinion, properly enlightened, to carry this nation forward to its highest destiny.