Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-09-07
OCT. 81, NOT OCT. ~.

At the instance OF the executive CON-
mittee Of the national public school cell
ebration Of Columbus Day. bill was
recently introduced in congress instruct
ing President Harrison 70 issue a procia-
nation making Columbus Day gen
eral holiday In the interest of scholas.
ly accuracy this bill wisely authorized
tbs change in date from Oct. II 10 Oct.
q. II has passed both houses Of CON
gress and received the presidents sigma
ture.
Above all other dates nearly every
pupil in our public schools remembers
that Columbus discovered America Oct.
10. l492. They will all want to know
why the 400th anniversary falls on Oct,
81, 1892
For many centuries the calendar in
stituted by Julius Caesar, known as the
Julian calendar, was commonly accept
ed. This calendar assumed that there
were $751; days ina year. But rs this
made the year II minutes and II seconds
too long, it could not without correction
very long answer the purpose for which
it was devised. Consequently, in 1852,
il was found necessary to reform the
calendar, and the Gregorian calendar
was adopted. In order to correct the
errors that the old calendar had made
I 10 days We're dropped out, aud Oct,
3 of 1882 became Oct. IS. As the
error was found TO be exactly days
/ in 400 years, the Gregorian calendar
omitted the leap year from every cen
/ turial year, excepting those which were
divisible by 400. Thus the years 1900.
100 and 1900 were not leap years.
As above stated, this reformation took
place in 1882, and 10 days were omitted
from the calendar But as Columbus
discovered America previous to the year
1900. which reckoned by the Gregoriar
calendar would not be leap year, there
would be but days 10 omit.
On Oct. 81, 1892. the sun will occupy
the same relative position TO the eartl
as on the memorable Oct. 10, 1892
The Gregorian calendar was not iu
troduced into Great Britain until l75i
popular ignorance and prejudice up t.
that time successfully opposing it. BY
the masses of the people it was believed
that the obliteration Of 10 days woult
shorten their lives. 1t is remarkable
that Russia still adheres to the Julian
reckoning.
We have already announced tn
change as in the interest of scholarly
accuracy. The public school stands 70
enlightenment and progress. and /
would not be in keeping with this spin
to compute the four centuries that vii
intervene between the date of the dis
covery and the date we are to celebrate
by an erroneous calendar which had il
J day and was discarded more than 30
years ago.
All the precedents for celebrating
American anniversaries. are in favor o
! correcting the old calendar to the new
For instance, ''Forefathers' Day" j
New England is celebrated Dec. p, al
though according to the Julian calenda
: the Pilgrims reached Plymouth Dec
IL. Washington was born on the lit
: dav of February, "old Style but "
celebrate the anniversary of his brit
5 ON the 22d Of February, new style
: The original proposal for the publ
school celebration set apart Oct. u, bu
a the friends Of free education who al
pushing the enterprise believed a ba
: precedent would be established, as
: named false date for the Observance {
q an historical event. This is the first e.
: fort that has ever been made fittingly
: observe, BY national commemorative e.
: srcises, the achievement of Columbus
! md the right day should be celebrated
s Tor this reason we are glad that Oct.
a is to be the day. We want the childre
q Of the land to observe an anniversaV
f with all that name implies, and not ne
/. essarily the recurrence Of fixed dat
t which. owing to the arbitrary changes
: the methods of computing time, has lo'
p its significance and in our day does M
accurately mark of the century poin
] Hurrah for the national Columbia
: rublic school celebration Of Oct. 81