Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-04

after it's election to carry cut the will
of The people from whom Its members
have got their commissions. This
condition led Richard Wayne Parker
who made report for tl.r judiciary
committee OF the house a few years
ago--to say that the risk of the health
of the people who attend the inaugural
ceremonies, nor the risk incurred by
the president himself, was as serious as
the political and business considera-
tions which require that If any change
Iis to be made 1t must be In the direc-
tion OF shortening rather than length
ening the interim between. the render
ing OF the verdict of the people and its
being put into effect by those ordained
to do 1t.
The constitution itself is silent on the
matter of a date for the inauguration.
1t has no power whereby 1t could tell
when the quarreling states would
ratify the organic law it had drafted
Rhode Island was not satisfied with the
instrument when 1t was first drawn.
and 1t was only when steps We're to
be taken to deal with her as a foreign
country that she decided to ratify it,
Other states took such an attitude that
no one could tell when the necessary
number of states would ratify 1t. I'm
der those circumstances the best the
convention could do was to say that the
term of office should be for four years
| And that is all it did say. The last
continental congress. which had not yet
expired for the want of quorum, fixed
the date as cited above, on the motion
of Benjamin Franklin.
History is silent as to how Wash
ington settled the difficulty of having
his term shortened to three years and
| ten months. If he had insisted on hav-
| ing his full term, however, all of the
difficulties now besetting those wh1
want to change the date would have
been obviated. A pathetic thing about
the retirement of General Washington
was letter written by the new presl-
| dent, John Adams, to his wife after
his Inauguration. In that letter he
said that there was more weeping than
had ever been witnessed at a tragedy.
| but whether from the loss of a beloved
| president or the accession of an unbe-
loved one he could not say When
Adams was succeeded by Jefferson he
moved everything out of the White
House the night before and refused to
greet his successor. The only other
instance of the kind was when John
| son refused to meet Grant, but it is
said that he was not TO blame for this
| that General Grant had said he would
not ride to the capitol with Johnson.
One writer says that John Quincy Ad-
ans refused to meet Jackson and
knew only by the booming of cannon
that his successor had been inau-
! gurated.
The younger Adams did not follow
the custom of his predecessors, nor
what has been the custom of his sue
cessors, in delivering his inaugural
address. He delivered ii before he
| took the oath. James Monroe was the
| originator of the custom OF holding the
| inaugural ceremonies on the east por-
tico of the capital. Most of the cere-
| monies preceding his had been held
in the senate chamber. He wanted it
held in the hall of the house. With
characteristic caution he notified con-
gress of his intention some days ahead,
/ and wrangle between the two houses
| ensued. Monroe cut the Gordian knot
of the trouble by having it on the east
portico, where most of those which
have followed have been held
There have been three times in the
history of the government when the
inauguration date fell on Sunday. The
| first time was the second inauguration
of Monroe. the second time at the in
auguration of Taylor, and the last
| time when Hayes was inaugurated. 1t
will not occur again until 1917. 1t will
also occur in 1945 and 1878.
1t has been hoped since the last i'm
auguration that congress would take
upon itself the building of a great con-
vention hall suitable for the holding of
an inaugural ball. But there seems lit
tie prospect now that an appropriation
can be secured in time for the erec-
ton of such a building. For years the
inaugural balls have been held in the
pension office. Each time the authorlT
ties have declared that it is the last
time that it should be done. The rec
ords in that building can never be du-
plicated. and their loss would be an
irreparable one The danger Of fire is
ever present on these occasions. 1t is
not improbable that the authorities will
have to yield to necessity again, and
that the Inauguration of 1909 will not
be different from those which have re-
| Gently gone before, except that there
will be a change of persons In whose
honor it is held. The merchants, no
tel men and other patriotic citizens OF
Washington will again be called upon
| to put up the money for the success OF
the Inauguration, relying on the re-
ceipts of the inaugural ball and from
the reviewing stands for reimburse
ment. Crowds will surge to the capital
city from all over the country, tlreless
spectators will take their places at an
early hour along the line of parade,
thousands will pack the space around
the east portico of the capitol, and an
other fourth of March will go down TO
history.
| .r,, ,,ox,al 20 rpef nractice