Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-14
iNAUGU RK1loN DATE
now THE 4rH a. nARcH CAME TO
BE C1osEN.
Originally Fir.ttyedne.day in Month
Changed From Movable to Fixed
Day o2Hthe Month.

Why was the 4th day of March selected
as the day for ffhe Inauguration of a
President? This Is 4 question which many
citizens have doSbuess asked themselves
as the quadrennia1 event occurs and par
ticularly on those occasions when adverse
| weather makes the date seem an especially
unpropitious one. Not only does it's rela-
ton to the season appear to be an unsat-
isfactory one, but the fact that the date
March is neither the beginning of a cal
endar year, a fiscal year or even of a
month, adds interest to the inquiry why
was March selected as the date for the
Inauguration of President?" The facts
seem to be as follows:
The convention which framed the Con-
stitution reported the Constitution to Con-
gress on September II, 1887 and on the
2Sth of the same month it was transmitted
by Congress to the several legislatures to
be submitted to a convention of delegates
for it's consideration and in the latter part
of the following year, 1888, Congress re-
ceived official notification that the neces-
sary number of states had ratified the
Constitution. 1t therefore, on September
Ii, 1888, passed the following:
Made a Movable Date.
Whereas the convention assembled in
Philadelphia, pursuant to the resolution Of
Congress of the 21st of February, 1887, did,
| on the 18th of September in the same
year, report to the United States in con-
gress assembled. Constitution for the
people of the United States; whereupon,
ber did resolve unanimously, that the
said report, with the resolutions and letter
accompanying the same, be transmitted to
the several legislatures, in order to be
submitted to a convention of delegates
chosen In each state by the people there
of, in conformity to the resolves of the
convention made and provided in that
CASE and whereas the Constitution so re-
transmitted to the several legislatures has
been ratified in the manner therein de-
clared to be sufficient for the establish
ment of the same, and such notifications
Congress, and are fled in the office of the
secretary; therefore.
Resolved, That the first Wednesday in
January next be the day for appointing
electors in the several states which be-
fore the said day shall have ratified the
said Constitution; that the first Wednes-
day In February next, be the day for the
electors to assemble IN their respective
states and vote for a President: and that
the first Wednesday in March next be
the time. and the present seat of Congress
(New York; the place, for commencing
proceedings under the said Constitution
1t will be observed from the above that
Congress fixed the first Wednesday in jan
uary for appointing electors. the first
Wednesday in February as the date at
which the electors should assemble and
cast their votes for a. President, and the
first Wednesday in March for commencing
proceedings under the said Constitution"
This meant the assembling of Congress
under the new Constitution, the counting
OF the votes and the Inauguration of the
President
The members Of Congress did not, how
ever, assemble at the place of meeting, in
New York. In sufficient numbers to form a
nlln nm and ha q
and after this duty had been performed 1t
was necessary to send a messenger to the
residence of Washington, Mount Vernon,
to officially notify him of his election.
With the methods Of travel then in exist
ence the trip both ways occupied a consid-
cradle time, and it wss not until near the
end of the month That Washington ap-
peared in New York. and he was inaugu-
rated on April as 1888
Changed -! Fixed Date.
The fact, however, that ''the first We'd
nesday in March,. which was the date for
commencing proceedings under the said
Constitution" happened to fall on the
fourth day of that month evidently led Con-
gress to assume that its term and the term
of the President began on that date. and
that the four years period should term-
nate at the corresponding date In 1893,
since in the early part of the year 1892 it
passed an act providing the details rela-
tive to the election of President and Vice
President. which closed with the following
paragraph:
Section II. That the term of four years
for which a President and Vice President
shall be elected shall in all cases COM
mence on the 4th day of March next, and
succeeding the day On which the votes Of
the electors shall have been gwen
Recognized in the Constitution.
This date, March 4, has since the pas
sage Of the above act, been accepted as
the date for the termination Of the presi-
dental term and the end Of the term of
Congress, and it was recognized in the
twelfth amendment to the Constitution,
adopted in 1904, naming the methods for
counting the electoral vote and selection
of a President and Vice President by the
provision which provided in case the cleo
ton should be thrown into Congress that
IF the House of Representatives shall not
choose President whenever the right of
choice shall devolve upon them before the
4th day of March next following, then the
Vice President shall act as President as
In the case of the death or other conStitu-
tional disability OF the President" the Vice
President in such case to be chosen by the
Senate.