Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-21
REASONS FORA CHANGE
LETTER REGARDING PROPOSED
NEW INAUGURATION DATE.
Mr.. Henry B. F. Mcfarland Explains
to Committee con Judiciary
Of the House.

of the national committee on the proposed
change of inauguration day, has forwarded
to Representative George w. Ray, chair
man OF the committee on the judiciary of
the House, statement of the committees
action at its recent meeting in this city.
Mr.. Mcfarland says:
On behalf OF the national committee on
the proposed change of Inauguration day,
peg leave to present the following state
ment for the consideration of the commit
tee on the judiciary of the House of Repre-
sentatives in support of the proposition
that the Inauguration day be changed from
the 4th of March to the last Thursday in
April.
AT the request of the inaugural commit
tee OF 1901 the Commissioners of the Dis
trict OF Columbia appointed the national
committee on the proposed change of inau-
states and territories and fifteen residents
of the District of Columbia were requested
py the commissioners to serve upon this
committee.
Acceptance by Governors.
THE governors of forty-five states and
territories accepted, with hearty approval
OF the proposed change, and no dissent was
expressed by the governors Of the four. 9TH
er states who were unable, on account of
their engagements, to serve on the commit
tee. The following are the governors who
have accepted: Alabama, w. D. Jelks;
Arkansas. Jefferson Davis: Colorado, James
B. Ornran; Connecticut, George P. Mclean;
Delaware John Hum: Florida, w. S. Jen-
nlngs; Georgia, A. D. Gambler; Idaho, F.
w. Hunt; Illinois, Richard Yates; Indiana,
w. I. Durbin; Iowa, Albert B. Cummins;
Kansas, w. E. Stanley; Louisiana, w. w.
Heard; Maine. John F. Hills; Maryland,
GnH 1oh,, VI n
Crane; Michigan, Aaron T. Bliss; Minneso-
ia, s. R. Van SAINT; Mississippi. A. H.
Longino; Missouri. A. NJ. Dockery; Mon
tana' j. K Toole: Nebraska, Ezra P. Saw
shire, Chester B. Jordan; New Jersey,
Franklin Murphy; New York, B. B. Odell,
jr; North Carolina, Charles B. Aycock:
North Dakota, Frank White; Ohio. George
K. Nash; Oregon, T. T. Geer; Pennsylvania,
William A. Stone; Rhode Island, Charles
Dean Kimball: South Carolina, NJ B. Nc
Sweeney; South Dakota, Charles N Her.
reid; Utah. Heber NJ Wells; Vermont. Will
lam M. Stickney; Virginia, A. ]. Montague;
washington. Henry Mcbride; West Vir-
ginia, Albert B. White; Wisconsin, Robert
M LaFollette: Arizona. N. o. Murphy;
ALASKA, John G. Brady; New Mexico Mig
uel A. Otero; Porto Rico, w. II. Hunt:
Hawaii, S. B. Dole.
+ The District Committee.
The fifteen members of the committee
- oAiA SAiS DASthiCt OAJ SOIuLlDld, lncIuQlnR
all the surviving ca1armen Of inaugural
committees, are az following: Admiral
George Dewey, Gen. H " Boynton, c. J.
Bell. Theodore w. NeyessS w. Woodward,
John NJ. Harlan, HenryB. F. Macfarland,
James l.. Norris, Lieut. Gen. N. A. Miles,
John W: Foster, Beriah Wilkins, Thomas
w. Smith. Frank A. sMnnsey, C. c. Glover,
John Joy Edison.
The national committee held It's first
meeting In the Offices of the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia on Monday af-
ternoon. April Z. whensevery member was
either present Or represented by proxy or
letter After organ1sa ton and discussion
the following resolution was adopted unani-
mously:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
committee that it 5shaulfftrepresent to Con-
gress that it is advisable to change the
date OF inauguration day to the last Thurs
day in April.
1T was accordingly laid. before the SUBJ
committee Of the committee on the judic-
larry Of the House Of Representatives hav-
Ing jurisdiction Of the subject, Saturday.
April r.
Explanatory Statement.
THE national committee desires to state
to the full committee on the judiciary, as 1t
stated to the subcommittee that
There appears to be a practically unan-
imous sentiment in the country, expressed
by the governors of the states and terrific
ries and by the newspaper press, in favor
Of the proposed change of Inauguration day,
for obvious reasons; that
"A day of the week, rather than day
OF the month, is proposed for the new in
auguration day, in order to avoid the great
inconvenience of having it clash with Sun
day; and that
The national comnittee desires to have
its resolution considered on it's merits with
out being complicated by disputed questions
as to the beginning or the termination of
the term of Congress. The national COM
mittee recognizes the fact that the discus
sion Of these questions has heretofore pre-
vented favorable action the proposition
to change the Inauguration day
THE national committee is very sensible
Of the necessity for action of Congress at
this session, in order that If Congress pro-
poses the amendment of the Constitution
on this subject the state legislatures meet
Ing next winter may pass upon the ques-
ton"