National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-10
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
when II Commences and when 1t Ends
Does This Settle the Question

To tho Editor of TIE REPUBLICAN.
In your issue of the 22d of May noticed a
query from Subscriber" as to whether the nine.
teenth century commenced January |, 1900 or
January /, 1901. The question was not satisfac.
torily answered in your paper, but the Post, in
their issue OF May a. in answer to the samo qucs-
ton. stated that the nineteenth century com.
menced January l, 1901. | do not agree with the
Post, and would, therefore, ask space In your
paper to give my reasons. When the new system
of computing or reckoning time was inaugurated,
that Is, changed from b. C. 10 A. D. &c, the
reckoning must have had a beginning; then, the
first second, hour, or day we win designate zero,
aud the next three hundred and sixty-fiye days,
leaving Off the fraction for tho sake of simplicity,
Immediately following the zero, must come and
so before We are one year old at the expiration
OF which we have the right TO date the year one
We acknowledge that from zero to the close of the
three hundred and sixty five days Is the first year
Of time, but not the year one. for until those days
have all passed can we properly use as Il date Of
record tho year therefore, plus 1865 equals year
/, aud so on from the beginning to tho present
IT WILL DE SEEN ny MY STATEMENT
that the number Of days which compose ono year
must pass before the year can be enumerated, and
,he nimera ana ene succeed ng ycn5 m 10 nts i'm. y"
been governed accordingly, which, beyond n
doubt, makes tho nineteenth century commence
January |, 1900, The same theory holds good in
reckoning centuries as in single years. This pres.
ent century Is beyond question the nineteenth,
yet We hllll NTlte lo &c why no we 10 so Bes
cause in reckoning time or distance, the number
Of days composing one year, the number of years
composing one century the number of feet In
rod, The number of rods In mile, must and al.
ways do stand 10 the loft of the numeral; that Is,
the time must have passed, or the distance meas.
ured
BEFORE THR RECORD CAN DE MADE.
The number OF days and years composing tho
nineteenth century stand to the leit of the figures
1900 Again, this is unquestonably the eighty.
third year OF time OF the present century; yet we
continue to writo 1882, and properly 30, because
We cannot use any year of time Rs date OF record
until that year hHs completely expired for in.
stance, when we say June 3, lSS2, we convey the
fact that lsS2 years have passed, and up to June
OF the eighty 'hird year. There is no better proof
OF the correctness of this theory than the dial of
n clock aud as the seconds minutes, and hours
are there recorded In like manner. has time ever
been recorded
" TUE "PosT" WILL TAHE THE TROUBLE
to examine the dial Of clock where the minutes
and hours are given, II will be clearly seen that
before the figures 3 or can be nsod 1--WE minutes
or one hour must have passed, and the time com.
posing those quantities always stand 10 the left
Of the numera ana so on around the dial ana
tho very second In which we are permitted TO
write ~ o'clock Is when the clock strikes that
hour 10 notify you that twelve houS have town
Do not all Of the minutes or hours composing
twelve hours stand TO the left of the figure ~?
Aud II true of one hour or twelve, Is not the same
theory or law good Ofor i cannot be changedl as
to years and centuries? 10 demonstrate for ten
years; The beginning of limo, or Of the reckon-
Ing Of time, plus S65 equals year J. therefore,
0 - 965, - 3d5, 2; - $685. 81 - 1868, A. - 300, o.
-365, g: - $685. 7;-365 s; - 3G5, 0; - 365 TO-
We perceive that the figure 10 is written imme'
dlatoly Mt the close OF the 1865 following the figure
.. consequently the S65 intervening between tho