The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-04
ny FnEDEnIc j. HAsl>IN.

by FREDERIC j. HASiSIN.
A year from to-day the people of the
United states will usher into power n
new Chief Magistrate. In recent years
each inauguration has been more wide
~ attended than it's predecessors. and
1t Is probable that next year Will be no
exception to the rule. Who the new
ruler Will be is hard to say. II he
safe guess to pick him. II he turns
out TO be n Republican, 1t would be
highly unsafe one. But whatsoever he
will be, he Is certain to meet with
an immense crowd when he takes the
solemn oath to preserve and defend the
Constitutions. And he Is pretty sure
TO encounter some pretty bad weather
on that day. for tickle March seems
When Benjamin Franklin offered his
resolution in the last Continental Con-
gress fixing the first Wednesday in
March. 1889. as the day for commence
ing under the said Constitution" he is
said TO have fixed that date because
II would fall on sunday fewer times
than any other day in the year.
Whether that was the reason, and
whether or not 1T is fact that the
4th of March does fall on Sunday less
often than any other day, the fact
remains that 1t does fall on Disagree
able days about as often as any other
date on the calendar could.
1t Is this treacherous 18th OF March
weather that has led TO widespread
agitation In favor of a change OF the
date OF the Inauguration. When Mr..
Roosevelt was inaugurated in IgGi the
weather was just about as fine as any
one could expect for the 18th of March.
l'9et the tolls that death took on that
day We're exceedingly heavy. How
many of the great throng that wit
messed the triumphal march of Roose-
veltism to a second term Will never
be known. Hundreds went back home
TO die unheralded deaths as n result
hn yyt 81
while In Washington But there We're
some shining marks of which the
world did hear. The venerable SEN
ator Bate. of Tennessee, died but q
contracted on that occasion. Judge
Weldon, of the Court of Claims. was
another victim of the day. The Next
can ambassador, Aspirozb, never re-
occasion. and indirectly 1t was the
weather of Inauguration day of 1904
| thai brought about the death OF Sena-
tor Piatt of Connecticut.
The death Of these men OF affairs
| brought to crisis a movement to
change the date of Inauguration. Com
missioner Mcfarland. of the District Of
Columbia, enlisted the aid of fifteen
to press the matter. He also secured
the Endorsement of forty-otle Governors
in his efforts. But with all that the
proposition failed of passage. The mat
lcI mas DtcU brought up III SOISEtSS
again this year. a number of bills
and resolutions have been introduced in
the Senate and House providing for a
change of date, but ii Is more than
probable that nothing will be done. AT
any rate, nothing done at the present
session could suffice to change the
date of the 1908 inauguration--as the
| change must be accomplished by a con-
| stitutional amendment which would
require the ratification of the Legisla-
lures of thrce-fourths of the states
| At best. therefore, the change cannot
take place until 1913, and 1t probably
stands small show TO get into effect I'M
| til 1917.
The stumbling block of the PROPOSE
! ton to change the date seems to be
| the House of Representatives. The
Senate has twice passed Il resolution TO
change it to the last Thursday in April.
! Each time the House has failed to con-
| cur, and the matter died a natural leg
| islative death. The late Senator Hoar
was at that time chairman OF tne
Judiciary Committee of the Senate, and
was the leader of the movement TOT
the change. He favored the last Thurs
day in April rather than April 3oth,
because lie thought moVapie CAV =.
would prevent sunday from intcrter,
who attend the ceremonies an opp up; :,
| tunity to get home without travelling
on the Sabbath. There are, however.
| some who think that 1T ought to pc OF
| WASHINGTON was inaugurated.. The
venerable winthrop. in his grafton a., ~
tho laying of the cornerstone u w
| Washington Monument, suggestea apl y
Goth as the Inaugural s,,ra wo aa'e the eo date
Of Washington's first Inaugural Ii : u ~
There are those in the House OF Rep,
resentatives who want the gave o. 1 ~
inauguration moved pack 10 ny -
~ tha Iattar mart Of April. They want
ia abolish the short term OF Congress
| altogether. They point out that unuer
from the expression of the will of the
lnann,e until that expression can be
given effect A President may re-
main in power four months after me
Unless convened in extra session, a
Congress has no chance, until thir-
| teen months after its election, to carry
ne w s Of a the p psaa fr Ser w aom
WAYNE Parker-who made report for
the judiciary Committee Of the. House
few Years agot 6e say mat the rsk
| tend the inaugural ceremonies, nor
the risk incurred by the President him.
self, was as serious as the political
and business I, considerations which re re-
made, it must be in the direction Of
shortening rather than lengthening the
interim between the rendering OF the
verdict of the people and it's being
put into effect by those ordained to
| do II.
The Constitution itself Is silent on
the matter Of date for the inaugura--
| ton, 1t has no power whereby IT
could tell when the qunrreling States
would ratify the organic law IT had
ldrafted. Rhode Island was not salts
fled with the instrument when " was was