Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06
Chairman Macfarland's Statement.

the proposed change of Inauguration day.
l beg leave to present the following state
ment for the consideration of the committee
on the judiciary of the House of Represent
tatives, in support of the proposition that
the Inauguration day should be changed
from the 4th of March TO the last Thursday
in April.
cat 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 in
auguraton day. The governors of all the
states and territories and fifteen eminent
residents of the District of Columbia were
requested by the Commissioners to serve
upon this committee. The governors of
forty-five states and territories accepte ed
with hearty approval of the proposed
change, and no dissent was expressed by
the governors of the four other state2 who
were unable on account of their engage
ments, to serve on the committee. The fol-
lowing are the governors who have ac-
ceDted:
alabama. w. D. Jelks; Arkansas Jeffer-
son Davis; Colorado, James B. Ornran; Con-
necticut George p. Mclean; Delaware,
gia A. d. Gambler; Idaho. F. w. Hunt;
Illinois, Richard Yates; Indiana, w. T. Dur
bin; Iowa Albert B. Cummins; Kansas, w.
E. Stanley; Louisiana, w. w. Heard; Maine,
Massachusetts. w. NJ. Crane; Michigan,
Aaron 7. Bliss; Minnesota, S. R. Van SAINT;
Mississippi A. H. Longino; Missouri. A. NJ.
Dockery; Montana, j. K. Toole; Nebraska
Ezra p. Savage; Nevada, Reinhold Sadler;
New Hampshire, Chester B. Jordan; New
Jersey. Franklin Murphy; New York, b. B.
Odell, jr.; North Carolina, Charles B. Ay-
cock; North Dakota, Frank White; Ohio,
George K. Nash; Oregon, T. T. Geer; Penn
sylvania, William A. Stone; Rhode Island,
Charles Dean Kimball; South Carolina, NJ.
B. insolvency; South Dakota, Charles n.
Herroid; Utah Heber NJ Wells; Vermont,
mi 7
tague; Washington, Henry Mcbride; West
Virginia. Albert b. White: Wisconsin. Rob
ert NJ. LaFollette; Arizona, n: Q. Murphy;
Alaska, John G.. Brady; New Mexico,
Miguel A. Otero; Porto Rico, w. H. Hunt;
Hawaii. S. B. Dole.
THE fifteen members of the committee
from the District of Columbia, including all
the surviving chairmen of inaugural COM
mittees, are as follows:
Admiral George Dewey, Gen. II. V. Boyn-
ton, c. ]. Bell, Theodore w. Noyes, S. w.
Woodward, Hon. John M. Harlan Henry
B. f. Macfarland, James L. Norris Lieut..
Gen. N. A Miles, Hon. John w. Foster,
Hon. Beriah wilkins, Thomas w. Smith,
Frank A. Munsey, C. C. Glover and John
Joy Edison.
Action of National Committee.
"The national committee held it's first
meeting in the offices of the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia Monday af-
ternoon, April T. when every member was
either present or represented by proxy or
letter. After organization and discussion
the following resolution was adopted unan-
mously: Resolved, That it is the sense
of this committee that 1t should represent
to Congress that it Is advisable to change
the date of inauguration day 20 the last
Thursday in April.
1T was accordingly laid before the SUBJ
committee of the committee on the judiciary
of the House of Representatives, having
jurisdiction of the subject, on Saturday,
April II.
THE national committee desires to state
stated to the subcommittee, that there APP
pears to be practically unanimous senti-
ment in the country, expressed by the gov
ernors of the states and territories and by
the newspaper press. in favor of the pro-
posed change of Inauguration day, for OBJ
vous reasons; that
"A day of the week, rather than day of
the month, is proposed for the new inaugu-
ration day, in order to avoid the great in
convenience OF having ii clash with Sunday;
and that
1.-THE national committee desires to have
it's 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 on the proposition
to change the Inauguration day.
THE national committee is very sensible
of the necessity for action by Congress at
this session. in order that If Congress pro-
poses the amendment Of the Constitution
on this subject the state legislatures meet
ing this winter may pass upon the ques-
tion.'