Stokes was a committee member of the Civil Service Reform Association that included Theodore Roosevelt. The objective of the Association was to establish a system of appointment and promotion in the Civil Service depending upon suitability assessed by competitive examinations, open to all applicants properly qualified, and that removals should be made for legitimate cause only, such as dis-honesty, negligence, or inefficiency, but not for political opinion or refusal to render party service. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883 made it law that government positions should be awarded on merit, however the Association continued to push for compliance, improvements, efficiencies and reforms in the U.S Civil Service. Stokes became chairman of the National Association of Anti-Imperialist Clubs, a movement formed in 1898 to oppose the annexation of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines at the end of the Spanish‐American War. He was also an active member and supporter of the free trade league and first president of the New York Reform Club. In 1894 Stoke published his proposals on a monetary system that would be based on the combined use of gold and silver called joint metallism. This came at a period of financial difficulties when there were calls to allow both gold and silver coinage to be used as currency, a system called bimetallism. Stokes's interest in this possibly came from his links to silver mining in Nevada and his support for Grover Cleveland, who was against bimetallism, favouring the gold standard. Stokes’s book ran to several issues and included a series of letter, quotes and extracts. Stokes was a keen yachtsman and was twice elected vice commodore of the New York Yacht Club. The yachts he owned were "Nereid, Clytie, Sea Fox" and "Mermaid". He was also involved with efforts to standardise the rules used in international yacht racing. His interests extended to naval warfare. He designed a warship, referred to as a globular naval battery that was a floating fortress, typically used for harbour defence. The idea came from the story of the British naval use of an island in the Caribbean called Diamond Rock. He published and read a paper on his design called, the "Ulitima", in November 1905 before the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. On October 17, 1865, Stokes married Helen Louisa Phelps (1846–1930). They were related, both being descended from George Phelps (c. 1606–1687) who came to America in 1630 from England.