Evening star., 1902-05-09
INAUGURATION DAY.
Comment on the Effort to Change the
Date

Anent the proposal to change the date
OF inauguration. a suggestion occurs to me.
irrespective of the decision of the COM
mittee, remarked the editor of a northern
daily this morning
Those in charge of the movement ought
to receive the warmest commendation from
the people at large throughout the country
for their well-organized efforts and The
fruitful result of serving to fix the nations
attention upon this highly important mat
ter. as well as that of Congress; and this
commendation should be bestowed upon the
united press OF the capital for its splendid
eHorts In the persistent furthering of a
proposition which ought to have been set
tled long ago. In fact. the voice of the
press or the capital, and the never ceasing
demand that proper action be taken, and
IN which the course of The Star has been
sucn as TO attract universal approval is
one or the more remarkable of instances Of
the power of the American journal of to-
uaS' ms is feature of the question which
mas peen overlooked, but it is wrong that it
should not be given the prominence il de-
serves. The power and influence for iustice
ana right or the London daily press has Of
ten been commented upon but in no recent
instance OF great affairs has the weight of
the press OF any one American city been so
Wen exempified as In the case in point
mere are differences of opinion in and
out OF congress upon the question OF chang-
ing the date, as has from time to time been
SHOWN by the remarks of representatives
and others, though all agree that the long
established date is unsuitable for a variety
OF reasons which need not be recounted
now, but there can be no difference Of opin-
ION as TO the great good accomplished by
| this concerted action of the press of the
capital 1t is praiseworthy to the last de-
gree, ana VIII ever go down into the history
| or our Journalism as a triumph.
While the whole gamut of suggestions
and points have been sounded upon the lyre
| OF public expression there is one sugg.s-
llon which L have never seen put forward.
| III may be considered a trifle radical in Its
| application, but it possesses the flavor OF
| unlquencss. and, If it were tried let the
! people themselves judge of the result 1t is
| this: Let all Washington get up and go
out OF town on Inauguration day, lust as
some people get out of the east end of town
| When the circus comes into the west end
IhiS manifestation on the part of the peo-
PIE would De such a startling innovation
upon the usual action of a populace ordin-
arlly submissive that it would startle the
country at large, the world, in fact The
| nrst act or an equally startled President
who had been driven down PENNSYLVANIA
avenue from the White House to the Cant
| tol, and been driven back again upon a de-
serted and silent thoroughfare would be to
call an extra session of Congress instanter,
ana peremptorily order the passage Of
the required measure to assuage the
wounded feelings Of the people Think of
the impression such a scene would create
upon the presidential senatorial. congress
| sional and diplomatic minds, and upon the
| entire country. No cheering populace no
waving flags, no surging crowds not a soul
| upon the streets except the officials and the
mliltary: even the District militia would
| nave hed to the woods. Talk about a Jolt
and jar and a rough house why, the
question would settle itself in lust three
and three-quarters seconds"