Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1898-06-22
WEATHER IN RAE sENArE.
cussed In the Proposed Change
of TRANSFORMATION DIV

cussed in the Proposed Change
of Inauguration Day.
1t has become proverblal that the
United States senate is fond of talking.
Notwithstanding the press of war
news, which is furnishing sufficient
subject for most of us, the busy senat-
ors have found time to talk about the
weather. And to tell the truth, in the
discussion of the bill to change the
date of the presidential inauguration,
they did this at length and rather in
terestingly. 1t will be remembered
that the bill substituted May A for
March 4 and was passed. The princi-
pal argument of those favoring the
bill was that the change would increase
the probability of pleasant weather
Senator Hoar said the Inauguration
comes now in a most inclement and
oftentimes tempestuous season. One
of the inaugurations of President
Grant, the inauguration Of President
Harrison and the second Inauguration
of President Cleveland were instanced
as terrible days, and it was asserted
that many persons all over the coun-
try lost their lives from exposure on
those occasions. In enthusiastic ad-
vocacy of the change, Senator Hoar
came amusingly, perilously near the
joyous words of the spring poet, for he
said the substitution would be that of
"a delightful season, and ordinarily
the warmth of the early summer, mel
lowed somewhat by the delaying
spring" On the other hand, Senator
Perkins of California, brought the rec
ords of the Congressional Library and
of the weather bureau to show that
from 1889 to 1897 inclusive there have
been twenty-eight Inauguration days,
and of these seventeen were fair and
pleasant, only nine were stormy and
there were two of which no record
could be found. The bad days includ-
ed the second Inauguration of James
Monroe in 1921, when there was snow
and rain; the second Inauguration of
Andrew Jackson, in 1888, severe cold,
but no storm; James X. Folks inaugu-
ration, in 1S45, when he took the oath
under an umbrella in pouring rain;
Franklin Pierce's, in 1858, in a snow
SIOIlu, Ine urSJ term OIL ulysses ..
Grant was inaugurated in gloom and
wet; Garfeld's inauguration day was
snowy and rainy until 10 a. m. Harri-
sons Inauguration was rainy one,
and Clevelands second Inauguration
was snowy. Some curious freaks of
the calendar were also brought out in
the discussion. Election occurs on
leap years, and even century years. In
auguration comes, of course, in the
year following. Between 1889 and
1897, 108 years, the 4th of March oc-
CURED on Sunday in Inauguration
years only three times; in 1921 in 1S49
and in 1877, The 4th of March in in
auguration years will occur on Sun
day but three times in the coming cen
fury, namely in 1917, 1915 and 1878
But the most serious arguments for
and against the proposition were legis-
lative. The weather was the popular
excuse for the change; but the objec-
ton to increasing the already long in
terval between election and the begin
ming Of the new administration, and
the advantage, on the other hand, Of
increasing by couple of months, what
is now called the Short session." so
that the two shall be more nearly
equal, are probably fraught with more
Importance to the United States.