The Washington times., 1902-04-13
INAUGURAL DATE
CHANGE HEARING
Proposition for Last Thursday
in April Presented.
Members of National Committee Before
House Judiciary Committee
Resolutions Submitted.

The proposition of the national com
mittee on the proposed change OF the date
of inauguration day to the last Thursday
in April was presented yesterday after
noon to the House Judiciary Committee.
Commissioner Macfar!and, chairman:
Hon. James L. Norris, secretary; C. c.
Glover, Charles J. Bell, Theodore W.
Noyes. and Thomas W. Smith appeared
| before the subcommittee, consisting of
Representatives Littlefield Thomas, and
Clayton.
History of the Movement.
Commissioner Macfarland, on behalf OF
the national committee stated that it was
the product u a resolution adopted by
the inaugural committee of 1901, asking
the Commissioners OF the District of CO.
Iumbia to appoint such committee; that
/ the governors OF forty-five States and
] Territories and fifteen residents of the
District of Columbia members of the last
inaugural committee. had accepted mem
bership on the committee at the request
Of the Commissioners; that the first
meeting of the committee was on last
Monday at which time all the members
either personally or by proxy, or by let
ter, expressed the belief that the date of
the Inauguration should be changed
He submitted the following resolution
adopted by the national committee at that
meeting as the proposition upon which it
stood:
Resolved. That 1t is the sense of this
committee that it should represent to
Congress that it is advisable to change
the date OF Inauguration Day to the last
Thursday in April"
Governors Urge Change.
Commissioner Macfarland read from the
letters of many governors stating that
the change ought to be made. because OF
the fact that the weather was so often
disagreeable and dangerous at the pres
ent inauguration time, and liable to af-
feet the health of the President and other
officers of the Government, and OF the
many thousands who witness the scenes
OF the Inauguration. 1t was stated that
the reason for selecting "a day OF the
week rather than day OF the mouth was
in order to avoid having inauguration day
come on Sunday, or on he day before
or the day after.
Commissioner mcfarland stated that
the national committee desired to leave
the form OF the action that should be TAX
en- by Congress entirely to Congress. The
national committee did not wish to COM
pliCate its prGpOSilloH Nith bhe ulSPut'u
questions as to the beginning or the ter
mination of the terms OF Congress. which
had hitherto prevented action by Con
gress on the question OF changing inau-
guration day.
If the House would pass Senator
Hoar's resolution passed by the Senate
and now before the House Judiciary Com
mittee. it would, of course, meet the
views OF the national committee. But the
national committee thought 1t best not
to make any other recommendations to
the House than that contained IN the
resolution which it submitted leaving to
The House the determination of the ques-
tion as TO how the pi oposition should be
carried out
After Commissioner Macfarland haG fin
ished his statement with an appeal for
earnest action, in view of the fact that
il would take so much time to secure
the approyal of three-fourths OF the State
legislatures. and the declaration that the
change was desired by the whole country. |
since no opposition had appeared. there |
was an informal interchange between the |
members of the subcommittee and the I,
members of the national committee as |
to all the phases Of the question.