The Opelousas courier., 1892-08-20
OCT. 2t, NOT OCT. 70.

At the instance of the executive en-
mittee of the national public school IL
ebration of Columbus Day, a bill as
recently introduced in congress lnstrt-
ing President Harrison to issue a prea-
nation making Columbus Day a a.
eral holiday. In the interest Of schfT-
" accuracy this bill wisely authoed
the change in date from Oct. IL toet.
81. 1t has passed both houses of n
gress and received the presidents sia-
ture.
Above all other dates nearly cry
pupil in our public schools remerers
that Columbus discovered Americact.
IL, 1492. They will all want to bw
why the 400th anniversary falls onct,
81, 1892.
For many centuries the calendar
stituted by Julius Caesar, known She
Julian calendar, was commonly apt
ed. This calendar assumed thatere
were 365L days in a year. But Shls
made the year II minutes and IA sends
too long, it could not without corrflon
very long answer the purpose for llch
it was devised. Consequently, in582,
It was found necessary to refolthe
calendar, and the Gregorian cadar
was adopted. In order to corrfthe
errors that the old calendar had ade,
10 DAYS were dropped out, anOct.
s of 1852 became Oct. 10. the
error was found to be exactly lays
in 400 gears, the Gregorian cadar
omitted the leap year from evecen
turial year, excepting those whidvere
divisible by 400. Thus the year 500,
100 and 1900 were not leap years
AS above stated, this reformatitook
place in 1852, and 10 days were tilted
from the calendar. But as Cdabus
discovered America previous to year
1900, which reckoned by the Gprian
calendar would not be a leap yeShere
would be but 8 days to omit.
On Oct. 81, 1892, the sun willeupy
the same relative position to tlarth
as on the memorable Oct. 10, la
The Gregorian calendar vast III
froduced into Great Britain uIl751,
popular ignorance and prejudidp to
that time successfully opposing By
the masses Of the people 1t wasteved
that the obliteration of 10 dagould
shorten their lives. 1t is rekable
that Russia still adheres to ~tlulian
reckoning.
We have already anneul the
change as in the interest of plarly
accuracy. The public school Sis fer
enlightenment and progressed it
would not be in keeping with spirit
to compute the four centuriest viii
intervene between the date OFF dis
covery and the date we are, tosbrate
by an erroneous calendarTWhiad its
day and was discarded moran 300
years ago.
All the precedents for Grating
American anniversaries are For of
correcting the old calendar ts new.
For instance, .sForefathers'y in
New England is celebrated. I91, al
though according to ahe Jnlialsndar
the Pilgrims reached PlymI Dec.
i'll. Washington was born de 18th
day Of February, told styleut We
celebrate the anniversary oh birth
On the 22d az February, "newe.n
The original proposal for public
school celebration set apart Qe, but
the friends Of free educatioho are
pushing the enterprise belieia bad
precedent would be establ5 as it
named a false date for the ohance of
an historical event. This is6rst eff
fortahat has evsr been madaagly to
observe, by a nal c~opaane1live ex
ercises, the achievement oflnbus,
and the rght day should bqbrated.
For fhisI reason We are gaAdfoct. u
Is to befthe dly. We want hildren
Of the land to observe an FeIsary
with all thatl name implies, pot nee
essariy the5recurrenee Of Sd date.
which, OWN 8 TO thearbitraranges 10
the methods of computing flaas Lost
It's signifies nee and IN ouraoes not
accuratsYAmark off, the cg point.
Hurrah fgr the nationaluInDlan
u7ah7fc <eha ,ol celebration 0 III.