The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-08-12
ocr. q. NOT OCT. -.

At the instance Of the executive COM
mfttee Of the national public school eel
ebration of Columbus Day. bill was
recently introduced in congress instruct
ing President Harrison TO issue q procla-
nation making Columbus Day gen
sral holiday. In the interest Of scholar
" accuracy this bill wisely authorized
ths change In date from Oct. 12 to Oct.
81 II has passed both houses Of con-
gress and received the presidents sigma
ture.
Above : other dates nearly every
pupil in our public schools remembers
that Columbus discovered America Oct.
-. 1892 They will all want to know
why the s0Oth anniversary falls on Oct.
"a. -s92.
For many centuries the calendar In
stituted by Julius Casar. Known q the
Julian calendar. was commonly accept
ed This calendar assumed that there
were 1861 days in year. But as this
made the year II minutes and IA seconds
too long. IL could not without correction
very long answer the purpose for which
1t was devised. Consequently. in 1852,
1t was found necessary 70 reform the
calendar, and the Gregorian calendar
was adopted. In order 70 correct the
errors that the old calendar had made.
10 days were dropped ont. and Oct.
Of 1852 became Oct. IS. As the
error was found to be exactly 3 days
In 400 years. the Gregorian calendar
omitted the leap year from every cen
turial year, excepting those which were
Invisible BY 400. Thus the years 1900.
1900 and 1900 were not leap years.
As above stated, this reformation took
place in 1852. and 10 days were united
from the calendar. But as Columbus
discovered America previous to the year
1900. which reckoned BY the Gregorian
calendar would not be leap year. there
would be but days to omit.
On Oct. 81. 1892. the sun will occupy
the same relative position to the earth
as on the memorable Oct. IL, 1492.
The Gregorian calendar was not in
trpduced into Great Britain until 1851.
popular ignorance and prejudice up to
that time successfully opposing it. BY
the masses Of the people it was believed
That the obliteration Of 10 days would
shorten their lives. Il Is remarkable
that Russia still adheres to the Julian
reckoning.
We have already announced the
1 change as in the interest Of scholarly
accuracy. The public school stands for
enlightenment and progress. and IL
/ would not be in keeping with this spirit
to compute the four centuries that Will
1 intervene between the date q the dis
1 covery and the date we are to celebrate
| by an erroneous calendar which had its
day and was discarded more than 800
I years ago.
4 All the presidents for celebrating
American anniversaries are in favor Of
/ correcting the old calendar to the new.
For instance. ''Forefathers' Day" in
New England il celebrated Dec. 81, al.
though according to the Julian calendar
the Pilgrims reached Plymouth Dec.
IL. Washington was born on the 18th
day Of February, ''old STYLE" but we
celebrate the anniversary Of his birth
on the 22d a February, new STYLE"
The original proposal for the public
school celebration set apart Oct. ~, but
the friends Of free education who arc
pushing the enterprise believed : bad
precedent would be established. a. II
named false date for the observance u
an historical event This Il the first cf.
fort that has ever been made fittingly tr
observe. by national commemorative ex'
ercisps. the achievement az Columns
and the right day should Be celebrated.
For this reason we are glad that Oct. q
j. 70 Be the day. We want the children
Of the land to observe an anniversary
with all that name implies, and not nee
cssarily the recurrence OF fixed date,
which. owing to the arbitrary changes IN
the methods Of computing time, has lost
it, significance and in our day does not
accurately mark Of the century point.
Hurrah for the national Columbian
public school celebration Of oct. u.