New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-16
DATE OF INAUGURATION.
ProposaL to Change 1t Strongly
Supported.
1rnn,1 r1zr rprnuNE nuREAu.l

washington March 16.-Eyery four years the
movement to postpone Inauguration Day to the
anniversary OF the first Inauguration or WASH
,y1+on receives a new impetus and makes sub
stantiaI progress. 1t is safe TO say that ninety
nine OFT OF every one hundred Of the thousands
who took part in and witnessed the great -cere-
,non,ee Of ten DAYS ago. Notwithstanding the
relatively fine weather that prevailed. were
made ardent advocates of a change of date
Advantage is now being taken of this fact to
,,rornote the proposition systematically, and the
organization of which District Commissioners
Henry B. f. mcfarland is chairman, and which
he's many public IN it's membership. is
raanifesting considerable activity, and is receiv-
ing hearty support from many influential
sources.
That there may be no loss due TO nlisdirected
effort or misunderstanding to what must be
accomplished, Mr.. Macfarland to-day explained
the situation as follows:
Appreciating highly the great value Of The
Tribunes support for the proposition TO change
inauguration Day from March TO a betleT
date, preferably the last Thursday in Apfli,
desire to say that neither the chairman nor any
other member Of the National Committee on
the Change Of Date has favored or, beHeVe'
would favor. separating the actual inaugural
tion OF the President and the Nlce-Presiuel
that is, the administration Of the oath OF once
iand the delivery Of the inaugural addresses
from the other ceremonies and festivities winch
custom has provided. On the contrary. when at
the public hearing OF the National Committee
before the House Committee on the judiciary
April %, 1902, a member Of the Judiciary Com
rnittee asked II the National Committee would
have any objection to the President taking the
oath in March and being inaugurated in April,
the chairman of the National Committee re-
piled that that committee would object since
the public taking Of the oath was essential to
the Inauguration.
without anticipating the future action of the
committee any further. 1 feel sure that 1t viii
not change its position in this respect The ma
fforal committee saw no necessary connection
between the ending Of the session of Congress
and the beginning Of the next and the Inaugural
ton OF the President and Vfce-President and,
while supporting Senator Hoar's resolution. pre-
ferred to drop its provision for changing the life
of the Congress rather than have the main prop
osition defeated by the contest over the Con-
fress question. Congress comes into being on
March J. but does not necessarily meet until
The first Monday in December afterWard. II
could be called IN extra session for March t.
but as a matter Of fact, this is not customary
although the Senate. a continuous body, IS
usually called in executive session for that date,
10 act on nominations and treaties. However de-
sirable an extension Of the short session OF Con-
fress may be- II ought not to be allowed 10 COM
plicate the simple proposition to transfer the
Inaugural ceremonies. official and unofhclai,
from March 10 the latter part OF April, when
the Washington weather is at its best ana the
lives Of many thousands-this year lSOOoO VS.
ttors besides the public men and the residents
Of The District-would not be imperilled.