The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-08
pnte of the InnnEnration.

Dutc OF tne
The proposition to change the time OF
the Inauguration Of the President from
March to April 30 is to come before the
first session of the next congress. An
effort will be made TO secure a consritu-
tional amendment extending the length Of
the presidential. term Of Maj. Mckinley
for the requisite number Of days, and
also prolonging the life Of congress for
the same length Of time. If that should
fail, then an effort win be made TO change
the date OF the formal induction Of new
Presidents into office to April 80. The
ceremony or date of inaugurating a Pres
ident is not governed by constitutional
provision, and the date may be fixed or
changed by congress without constitu~
tional amendment
It seems that the designation of March
as the date for the beginning OF the
congressional and presidential terms was
an accident. In February. 17SS congress.
provided that on the first Wednesday in
the next January, electors should be APP
pointed in the several states that had rati-
fed the constitution, that on the first
Wednesday of February the electors
should assemble in their respective states
and ballot for President. and that the
first Wednesday in March should be tho
time for the commencement of proceed
ings under the then new constitution. It
50 happened that the first Wednesday of
March, 17S9 fell upon the fourth day or
the month. -Four years later an act OF
congress was passed declaring that from
and after that time the terms Of the
President and Vice President should be.
gin upon March 4, and Washington be-
gan his second term at Philadelphia on
March A, 1888. He was inaugurated the
first time, however, in New York, on April
80, 1888
one of the strongest reasons urged for
the changing of the date of the inaugu-
ration is the fact that the early days OF
March are more than apt to be cold and
stormy. The exercises must necessarily
be held in the open air, for obvious rea-
sons. The danger of open air exercises
in snow or rain and wind was pointedly
commented upon by Gen. Benjamin Har-
rison on ths day of his Inauguration, in
1889. severe snow storm prevailed and
had been preceded by a soaking, cold rain.
This storm" said Gen. Harrison. will
cost more lives than battle" The LAST
time President Cleveland was inaugural
ed he ran the risk of pneumonia by stand
ing harebeaded in the snow storm which
prevailed. sheltered only by an umbrella.
The streets were filled with slush. For
days and weeks thereafter the newspapers
contained reports of deaths from exposure
at the Inauguration. During the last
fifty years there have been thirteen in
auguretion days. Ten of them were cold
and stormy; only three were pleasant. A
month later than March i the averags
weather is bright, dry and cheerful.
There are. however, other reasons urged
why the date of the Inauguration should
be changed by constitutional Amendments.
Chief among them are, that April 30 is
the day that was originally intended by
the founders of the government to begin
the presidential term, since Washington
was inaugurated on that day; and that
congress would be given more time in
which to dispose of urgent matters. The
proposition to extend the time has been
adopted once by one branch of congress-
and has been considered in both branches
several times.