The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-04

changed the greater will be the respect en-

changed the greater will be the respect en-
tertained for it by the people But the
amendment to the constitution proposed by
the House committee on the election of
President and Vice president, reported in
our dispatches of yesterday, we think
should receive the favorable action of Con-
gress, and afterwards of the country
The proposition is to substitute the 31st day
of December for the 4th of March as the
commencement and termination of the term
Of office of members of the House of Repre-
sentatives and the United States Senate:
ana providing that Congress shall hold its
annual meeting the second Monday in
January instead of the first Monday in
December. That this arrangement would
be more convenient than the present one is
clearly evident BY making the term of
office of Senators and Representatives end
Just before the beginning of the
annual meeting of Congress, in
stead of ending the 4th of March,
the necessity of adjourning Congress
on that date every other year, and of hav-
ing long and short term of Congress al
ternately, would be at an end. Congress
would then be able to regulate the length
OF its sessions by its own good pleasure and
the necessities of the country for legisa-
ton. The advantage of changing the time
of the annual meeting of Congress from the
first Monday in December to the second
Monday in January would be that the ad-
journment for the Christmas holidays
would not be necessary. AS it is now,
congressman no sooner get installed
in their quarters at Washington
and commence legislative work then they
must needs adjourn for the holidays or
else sacrifice the pleasure of spending those
days with their families. These changes
would be very great Improvement
The other change suggested, viz: that
the 18th day of April be substituted for
the 4th of March as the date for the com
mencement and Limitation OF the term of
Office CT President and Vice President,
would also be an Improvement, as it would
give more pleasant season of tie year
for the ceremonies of inaugura-
ton. The early days Of March
are nearly always unpleasant,
cold and disagreeable; and if day can be
secured when we are more liable to have
: warmth and sunshine, together with the
fresh verdure of awakened spring, let US
have it. But even April is a capricious
month, and perhaps a day in May would
l be still more satisfactory.
While amending the constitution in re-
, lation TO the time for beginning the SEES
sions of Congress, and commencing aud
) ending the Presidential term OF Office, il
would also be a good thing to SO amend ii
l as TO have the people vote for the candidates
, for President and Vice President direct
: without having the electoral college to say
, for them what they have already said foI
: themselves at tie polls. If such an
amendment were made, the people would
f not be humiiiated by seeing a candidate
: whom they had elected by popular pld
: rality vote Of 25O, g35 refused his place il
/ the White House, as was done in 1S76-ol
one VINO received 9S.0l1 popular plurality
g vote compelled to leave tine White Hous,
Q to be occupied by one whom he had beater
t by the above plurality, This reform i!
r bound to come in time, ond it might as vel
2 be done now as at some future day.