Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-31
A Chanee-of-Date Proposal.

The Harrisburg Telegraph. strongly in
favor of change of the Inauguration date
to more clement season than March a.
notes the necessity of securing an amend
ment to the Constitution as the chief OBJ
stacle to the success of the proposition and
suggests a shortcut to the reform by way
OF mere legislation. as follows:
Let Congress select more desirable day
1or the inauguration; let the President re-
TIRE from office on March 4; let the cabinet
officer who stands in the line of presiden-
tlal succession serve as President between
March and the new date selected for the
inauguration. This would not be violating
the constitution, would provide an incum-
bent of the presidential office and would
save many lives every four years.
There Is certainly nothing in the bare
text of the Constitution TO prevent the
President from taking the oath of office
at any date which may be named, so long
as ne does not serve for more than four
years in any one elected term. Nor does
the constitution prescribe the date on
which the Congress shall expire save by
stipulating that the term of a representa-
tive Shall be two years and that of
senator SIX 1t would be impossible with
out constitutional amendment to allow
President, representative or a senator
whose term expired. for instance on the
4th of this month, to remain in service until
April 30. But there Is no constitutional
prohibition, in point of text, against re-
garding the latter date as the beginning
and therefore the ending of all presiden-
tal and congressional terms. Thus the Tele
graphs plan is to provide for an interreg-
mum when there shall be no elected Presi-
dent and no Congress. Indeed in such case
without constitutional amendment there
would be not even a potential Con-
gress which could be called in session to
meet an emergency.
There are two serious objections to the
plan, however attractive it might seem at
first glance. There would be the greatest
difficulty in securing legislative action
looking to the filling of the presidential gap
by an appointed officer, whoever might be
the prospective temporary beneficiary of
the plan.
The other difficulty is found in the fact
that in such a case there would be no po-
tential Congress in existence capable of as
sembling in case emergency arose which
called for legislation. This objection Is of
more force now, with the telegraph per-
hitting speedy notification and the rail-
roads ensuring an assembly within a week,
If necessary. In the old days of the stage
coach the possibility of lapse of eight
weeks between meetings Of Congress
would not have been regarded as an in
surmountable obstacle to a reform The
greater the facility of assemblage the more
gravely the danger of so long legislative
interim would be regarded by the people.
1t Is to be feared that the regulation
method of amendment must be pursued,
despite the difficulties and delays. The
popular demand for the change grows more
clamorous after each Inauguration, and it is
by no means with despair that those Wash
ingtonians who are enlisted in the change
of-date propaganda continue their efforts
to focus public sentiment in this respect
until 1t brings results.