Evening star., 1901-08-07
CHANGE THE INAUGURATION DATE.
The Organized Movement to This End
Promises Results.

From the New York Tribune.
1t is to be hoped that the agitation re-
Gently started for an April presidential in
augura ton will bear some practical fruit.
SO many vague suggestions of a change
of date have been put forward from time
to time under the spur Of a particularly
clustering March experience only to be
forgotten before the two houses of Con-
gress met again in December, that public
sentiment has been disposed to dismiss the
choice of q more seasonable and appropri-
ate day for our presidential installations
as one Of those elusive legislative reforms
which everybody favors but no one will
ever seriously interest himself to accom-
plish. The present movement seems GER
tainly to contain more promise than any
of its immediate predecessors. Heretofore
some senator or representative has intro
duced bill to carry over the date Of the
succeeding Inauguration from March 4 to
April 80. After a desultory sputter of
comment and commendation the measure
has been left to die natural death on
some committee calendar. Now at least
an organized and intelligent effort Is to
be made to secure the legislation needed
to restore our political calendar to its
original integrity. The District of Co
lumbia committee. which so successfully
conducted this years inauguration cere-
mony, has planned a campaign for a change
Of date which contemplates the active CO.
operation Of all the state governments and
Of public opinion generally throughout the
Union. Without pressure from home SEN
ttment representatives and senators have
naturally been reluctant to advocate a
measure which will to some extent derange
established political customs. But TO any
unmistakable demonstration of popular
support they will doubtless yield whaIcE 2r
prejudice they may feel against an lnno-
walton which will involve the lengthening
of their own laborS every other year by
about eight weeks
The infelicities of an inauguration under
present conditions are too notorious to he
enumerated here. National sentiment
seems bent on making each presidential
installation a more imposing and more
splendid spectacle. With the growth Of the
nation and the growth of its capital, the
Quadrennial pageant at Washington must
continue to broaden in beauty, in dignity
and in popularity. If, however, it is to
develop along the lines it has begun to
follow, an escape from the wlntry fury
Of early March to the exquisite balm and
serenity Of early May Is the first essential.
Every consideration Of health. Of comfort,
Of convenience, Of pictorial effectiveness
pleads for this change of setting-a change
in which esthetlcally there is absolutely
everything to gain and nothing to lose.
But other reasons than those Of senti-
ment or Of purely local convenience can be
found for advocating the choice Of later
and more seasonable inauguration date.
crowding the work of it's second year into
the customary ten or eleven weeks Of the
shorter session more perpleXing one.
What Is absolutely necessary is usually ac-
complished, but at the cost of tremendous
friction and effort. Much crude and un-
digested legislation Is passed because there
it no time to consider it carefully; many
merttorious measures are beaten because
a. small minority can easily keep them from
coming to a vote. An extension of the sec
ond session from March 4 to April 80 would
mean vast addition to the working capac-
ity OF the two houses and notable en-
largement Of their power of selection and
judgment. In urging the installation of our
Presidents under more smiling skies the
Washington committee is doubtless in
fuenced chiefly by desire to give greater
scope and brilliance to the Inauguration
as national pageant. 1t will do still
more important service, perhaps, to the
country at large II in securing an end-of-
April dates for its more imposing cere-
monial 1T paves the way as we'll for a less
hurried and haphazard closing session in
the two houses of Congress.