The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1905-10-06
To Change Inauguration Day.

After almost half a century of talk
and agitation the movement to change
the date of the presidential Inaugural
ton has at length assumed definite
form and is now making substantial
Roadway" says the New York Tribune,
Forty-one governors have signified
their willingness TO serve on the com
mittee which Commissioner Macfar
land has organized TO induce congress
to draw up and submit to the states
the constitutional amendment which is
necessary to be adopted before the
change can be made. simple statu
tory enactment is not sufficient, as to
move the date forward from March 4
to April 30, the day desired, would
involve at first an extension of nearly
eight weeks to the term of the presi
dent. Hence, says the New York
Globe
1t is the intention to have a joint reso-
ton prepared and presented to congress
by the committee providing for the nee
essary constitutional amendment. Such
resolution has passed the senate twice.
but has failed in the house either through
lack of interest or some similar reason.
1t is thought that the chances for pas
sage in that body at the approaching SEES
sion are excellent, and 1t is difficult to
conceive why they should not be. The
new date most In favor is April 30. This
was the date of Washington's first in
auguration in New York city, and a more
powerful reason or precedent than that
could not be desired. 1t would also In
sure far more genial weather for Wash
ington at that time of the year is In the
full glory of its matchless spring
The reasons which are urged for hav
ing the Inauguration held on April &c
are that the change would add to the
length of the short session Of congress
and enable those who attend the cere
monies to escape the dangers resulting
from exposure to the Indictment wealth
er of March, which has, as the Philadel
phia Public Ledger declares, produced
"a harvest of death and disease" after
every inaugural day in the past. These
arguments are also given by the Trib
une, which, in approving the plan
says:
The Washington members of the COM
mittee seem to have emphasized success
fully the desirability of escaping the per-
lis and discomforts of midwlnter inau-
guraton. They cited the fatalities due to
exposure on March 4 last, though the last
inauguration day, compared with many
others was clement and genial Three dis
tinguished participants in the ceremonies
sacrificed their lives this year to the
exigencies of an unreasonable outdoor
spectacle. Manuel de Aspiroz the am
bassador of Mexico; Senator William b.
Bate of Tennessee and Justice Lawrence
Weldon of the United States court of
claims, required by etiquette to take part
in the exercises on the capitol steps, all
died as a result of illness there con-
tracted. The public is beginning to real.
lie that 1t is both cruel and senseless &c
invite-and in measure compel-the JUS
tees of the supreme court the other JUS
tees resident in Washington, the diplo
matte corps, the cabinet and the members
of both branches of congress to sit OF
stand unsheltered through what is Otter
a half hour ceremonial in a drenching
rain. The perils and annoyances OF such
a stupid adherence to tradition and the
gather in Washington to enjoy the lnau.
guration display are accepted by the
state executives generally as sufficient
ground for reforming our badly regulated
political calendar.