The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-10


those "persons most noted for wisdom and
virtue ?"
THE FOURTH OF MARCH ON SUNDAY.
There is another delusion, seemingly
born of the same idea, which makes its pc
tiodical rounds through the press at about
the times of presidential elections, and
sometimes oftener, which has been oft ex-
ploded, but which is again aud again re-
peated seemingly that these newspaper
neophytes may learn something of history,
If of nothing else. But the trouble seems
to be that they will not stay informed. In
order to show the extraordinary reverence
of our fathers for Sunday. a paper states
that "out Of regard to the Sabbath, and
" the desire that its violation by the inau-
"gural ceremonies might occur as seldom
" as possible, the 4th of Mlrch was fixed
as the date for these ceremonies, because
it would fall upon Sunday a less num-
Der of times and a. greater intervals than
"any other date during many years" We
may remark, in sing, that the words
quoted seem to be slereolyped form of OK
pressing etrlkingly original idea, as we
have, 10 scrap book, the same paragraph
appearing as original editorial in five diff
fercnt newspapers, at intervals of three or
four years apart, and now again it appears
as original editorial, in Vermont news
paper within tie past week. We refer to
this, not SO much as showing how original
newspapers can be in the expression of
thoughts and opinions, as to show how firm
hold this deusion has on tic popular
mind, and how difficult it is to dsabuse a
certain class of newspapers of an opinion
once formed no mat or how erroneous it
may be.
Conceling, if you pl aje, that the fourth
day of March was selected on this account
which, as we shall SHOW WAS not the fact
it simply shows that our ia hers were not
well read" III the almanac. The fourth
day of March occurred Sunday in 1921 anl
1870, and will ogail in 1877 three times
since the organization Of the government.
The first, eighth, fifteenth and tweuty-sec-
md days Of March would, also, have hap
)ened Sunday but three times, namely in
1901, 1929, ald 1857 the second, ninth,
sixteenth and twenty-third days OF March
three times, namely in 1917, 1876, and
1878; the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-fret
AMI twenty eighth days of March three
times, namely in 1913, 1S41, and 1869
while the sixth, thirteenth, twentieth and
twenty-seventh days of March would have
fallen on Sunday only once. SO that it ap
pears thbt selecting any day from March ]
to March PC, both days inclusive, only thu
3D., 10th, 18th and gath would have hap
pened on Sunday oftener than March 4th-
namely in 1898, 1906. 1903, 1888, and 1851
or five times in all-and March 9th, 18th
10th and 26th, which would have fallen OF
Sunday four times-namcly in 1906, 1887
1858 and 1SG5-while either March sixth
l thirteenth, twentieth or twenty. seventh
would have occIrrcl only once-namely il
| 1925.
The fact is, however, that the "fourll
" day of March" was never fixed upon a
the day for the Inauguration of the presi
dent. 1t happened on this vise The orr
ginal constitution provided that the ratif
cation thereof by nine states should be sui
ficient to establish it between the states s.
ratifying it, and eleven states-Delawarc
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Con
necticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Sout
Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia an
New York-having ratified it, the congres
| of the confederation, September 10, 17SS
Iappointed the first Wednesday of January
| 1889, as the day for the choice of electoi
of president and vice president of th
United States; the frat Wednesday O
February for the meeting of the electors t
make choice of president and vice pres
| dent; and the first Wednesday of Marc
as the time "for CONNIE ncing proceedings
under the constitution. In accordanC
with the terms Of this resolution the fri
congress, under the constitution, assemble
on the first Wednesday of March, 1889
but no quorum was present in the hous
until April /, or in the senate until Apr
8, on which last mentioned day the ele,
toral vote was counted, but the president
George Washington-was not inaugurate
until April 30, although John Adams, IL
vice president, took the oath, and assume
the duties of bis office, April 81. The da
liked by the congress of the confederate
"for commencing proceedings" under IL
constitution, happening TO fall on Marc
4th, that day, by common consent an
usage, but without the sanction of law, h'
been adopted for the Inauguration of pre-
idents and for the commencement of ne
administrations. The fixing of the day hi
been the result Of accident, and not desigi
and has not even the sanction of law,