Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-01

sessions and representatives would not De
placed in the dilemma of negiecting their
legislative duties or neglecting their po-
litical interests at home.
There have been some interesting debates
in both houses upon this subject. In 1898
an attempt was made to extend the term OF
President Cleveland until the 30th of April,
1885, and the terms OF members or the
House of Representatives to the same date
The bill passed the Senate Of the Forty
ninth and Fiftieth Congress, without de-
bate and without objection, but failed on
both occasions in the House. Mr.. Culber-
son of Texas attempted to secure us pas
sage under suspension or the ruies' out
failed to command the two-thirds vote nee
essary. The late Mr.. Grain of Texas was
very active in supporting the measure and
made earnest speeches in favor Of 1t.
Opponents of the Proposition.
The late Thomas B. Reed. however, and
Colonel Henderson of Iowa both opposed
the proposition with characteristic energy
and force.
Mr.. Reed made one of his sarcastic
speeches against it, and Colonel Henderson
objected to the extension of the term or
President Cleveland because he thought the
country had already had enough of him. he
suggested that it would be much better to
change the date of the meeting OF Congress
from the first Monday in December to the
first Monday in October, instead or Janu-
airy.
Senator Burrows, who was then a MEM
Der of the House, made humorous speech
in which he declared that he had yet to
hear of any American citizen who had de-
clined to be inaugurated President or the
United States on the 4th of March.
Mr. Kerr of Iowa referred to the popular
fiction that jefferson rode to the Capitol on
horseback and tied his bride to a tree while
he went into the Senate chamber and took
the oath of office. He advocated return
to Jeffersonian simplicity in our inaugura-
lions and in all other ceremonies 90
- \ l<,S he W
eminent to have ostentatious displays at
the inaugurations of our Presidents. ne
said II do not think it would hurt the
country if the inauguration We're TO take
place on such a cold day as would put dls-
plays out of the question"
General Wheeler of Alabama got very
much excited and tore himself almost 10
tatters by his emphatic gesticulations when
he declared that he would resign from the
House of Representatives, or cut of his
right hand or do almost anything equally
desperate, rather than extend my power.
honor and authority for single day. or
even single hour, or even Single ihih-
ute"
Jefferson's Simplicity.
While We are on the subject it might as
well be said that the story of Jefferson's
simplicity Inauguration was the result of
q practical joke played upon credulous
English tourist named John Davis. who
spent the winter of 1904 in Washington.
writing newspaper letters and gathering
material for a book in which he afterward
published that and many other absurd de-
scriptions of American life and habits. I'm
fortunately for the accuracy of his nara
tive, at his boarding house he fell into the
society of several wags who imposed upon
his credulity by relating absurd anecdotes
Of the President and others in authority,
which he conscientiously recorded in his
notebook and afterward published as facts
At his first inauguration Jefferson was
escorted from Conrad's boarding house,
which still stands ON New Jersey avenue,
to the steps of the Capitol by a battalion of
regular soldiers and battery from Alex
andria. He walked between Samuel Dexter
of Massachusetts,, Secretary OF the Treas
ury and benjamin Stoddard,; Secretary Of
the Navy-the only members of President
Adams cabinet who had the decency to re-
main in Washington. The retiring Presi-
dent. to the humiliation of his friends. fled
by his carriage to Baltimore like fugitive
to avoid assisting at the inauguration of
the man who defeated him for reelection.
Jefferson wore "a blue coat. a thick gray
colored waistcoat. with red under-waist-
eoatIapped over 1t. green ve1veteen breaches
with pearl buttons, yarn stockings and slip
pers.''
At his second inauguration he rode in a
fine imported French coach drawn by four
magnificent horses. for which he paid 81. 600
q very large sum IN those days. and his
coachmen and footmen were dressed In tv-
cry similar to that used by the royal famI-
lies In England and France.