The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-07-30
WEATHER In TIE SENATE.
Curious Freaks of the Calendar Dis
cussed In the Proposed Change
of Inauguration Day.

cussed In the Proposed Change
of Inauguration Day.
1t has become proverbial that tho
United States senate is fond of talking.
Notwithstanding the press of wal
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 4 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 tempestGous 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 ove the coun-
try lost their lives from exposure on
those occasions. In enthusiastic adj
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 tw~enty-eight inauguration days,
inc 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 1845, when he TOOL the oath
under an umbrella in a pouring rain;
Franklin Pierce's, in 1853, in a snow
storm; the first term of Ulysses S.
Grant was inaugurated in gloom and
wet; Garfield's Inauguration day was
snowy and rainy until 10 a. M; Harri-
sons Inauguration was a rainy one,
and Cleveland's second Inauguration
was snowy. Some curious freaks Of
the calendar were also brought out in
the discussion. Election occurs or
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 1874!
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 70
and against the proposition were legis
latiye. The weather was the popula
excuse for the change; but the objec
tion to increasing the already long in
terval between election and the begin
ming of the new administration, AM
the advantage, on the other hand, o
increasing by a couple Of months, wha
is now called the "short session." ~
that the two shall be more nearl
equal, are probably fraught with NOR
Importance to the United States.