Evening star., 1909-03-05
Emphatic in Their Opinions.

ed the deserted chamber today. where a
large force of employees was busily en- |
gagged in cleaning up and cleaning out the |
desks of all members. preparatory to the |
renewed drawing for seats which will occur |
March 10 the first day OF the special tariff
session of the Sixty-f1rst Congress, We're I
emphatic in their statement that some ac-
ton should be taken by Congress at once
looking to change in the Inaugural da,e.
Il have been in favor of change In
the date of the inauguration from March
to the latter part OF April or the frst
part of May for many years. said Rep
resentative Grtggs of Georgia to Star
reporter today. II will at any time sup
port any proposition to bring about this
much needed reform, Yesterday was an
object lesson which It would be we'll for
members of the House and Of the SEN
ate to remember. They should not for
get, in these pleasant days to come, the
blizzard that ragged in Washington on the
Sd and on the first part of the 4tfs of
March. but should remember it to such
good effect as to result in action by Con-
gress at the special session about to, be
held: which could be followed by action
of the various state legislatures resulting
in constitutional amendment changing
the date l am confident that were 1t not
for the cumbersome procedure involved.
this change would have been made Ions
ago, probably Immediately after the tn
augurat.on OF President Grant.
The weather then was about as bad as
| it possibly could be, although since that
! time it will be found that bad days have
| been very much more numerous than good
days on inauguration March in the Ma
| tionai capital. I can see no reasonable
! opposition to such a change as IS pro-
! posed, and I will do everything in my
power to bring 1t about. This is not
! question concerning which there is any
! reasonable ground for difference Of
opinion between the two parties. we
should all get together and get out such
resolution which would be the first step
| in bringing about the proposed reform. l
am convinced that there would be so lit
! tie opposition to such resolution that it
| could be adopted practically by unanl-
nous consent. / have never yet on any
| proposition been so conservative as to lay
myself open to being called a. fool -
Favored It for Years.
| II am absolutely In favor OF a change
| in the inaugural date said Representa-
tive James Kennedy of Ohio. II have
been in favor Of it for years. and / will
welcome a chance of voting for 1t. l do
not think that there are any arguments
which can successfully be urged against
| the proposed amendment to the Const1tu-
| tion. 1 understand that the leaders OF
| both houses of Congress are in favor OF
the change, and I hope that l will have a
| chance to vote on 1t at the special tariff
session which is to be called on the 18th
! ii March. There will be little or no gem
eral legislation at the special session, l
am told. but I do certainly believe that
| an exception should be made of resolu-
ton designed to work the reform in the
inaugural date which is proposed"
! ''You can put me down as in favor or
the proposed change in the inaugural date
from the 4th of March to some time
around the latter part Of April or the first
of May" said Representative Walter
Brownlow of Tennessee, one OF the few
l ahnrc nf
| his state II do not believe that any sane
and sensible man will contest the prop
osition advanced. l am convinced further
that should resolution. designed to bring
Gus attention at the special session. that
it would go through with rush. There
can be no serious opposition to such
proposition. Certainly there is enough
that. 1t Is not party question or any
thing Of the sort. I hope we will pass
such a resolution as is contemplated at
the special session Of the Stxty-first Con-
gress."
Samuel w Mccall of Massachusetts,
Most decidedly favor a change in the
date for the inauguration. 1 would prefer
some time in the latter part Of April or
the first of May
Victor Murdoch of Kansas am not
at all certain that the inaugural date
should be changed. Personally, / am IN
clined to believe that anything, whetner
1t be the weather or something else, that
will prevent the American people OF an
abnormal love for pomp and display u .
very good thing
Augustus P. Roberts Of Massachu-
setts: Il have not given the matter sur
6cient thought to express an opinion. and
until 1 read the constitutional provision
I do not care to go into the subject.
John J. Fitzgerald Of New YORK: Ger
tainly, I favor a change
Bourke Cochran OF New YORK: Ine
auguration of President Of the United
States is a subject that cannot be dealt
with lightly. Grave constitutional ques-
tions are involved. and until l nave an
opportunity to study the matter in every
detail 1 would be loath to express an
opinion" v,,. ..1
most certainly favor a change IN the
inaugural date and believe that May
would be good day.. -
Joseph H. Gaines of West Virginia: Il
certainly do not favor change IN the
inaugural date. The Constitution pro-
vides that the President shall take Of
flee on March and I do not think 1T
advisable to change that date merely
for the purpose of making the grand
pageant possible.
Thetus w. Sims of Tennessee: Inc
condition of the streets of Washington
yesterday was ample proof that we
should never again subject the thousands
of visitors to the dangers of disease
How March 4 Was Fixed.
A number of senators today called at
tention to the fact that the trainers of
the original Constitution did not name the
date for the beginning Of the new govern
ment, and that nowhere in the Constitu-
ton as 1t was first drafted is there any
mention of March 4. The only mention
Of it in the Constitution is in the
amendment, ratified shortly after the
government started, to change the meth
Cd Of electing the President and Vice
President.
In that amendment it is stipulated
that If the House Of Representatives
shall fail to elect President, in case
that duty falls upon it in the cOnstitu-
tional way, on the 4th day of March
next following the Vice President shall
become President
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,, who is
a close student and writer of history,
said that the selection Of March was
made by the Congress Of the Federation
as the day for starting the government.
The members selected the first Monday
in the next March, and it just happened to
fall on the 4th. They only had in mind
the earliest possible convenient date and
nothing else, he said.
OF course, after the government was
started into operation oh that day, the
four-year term for the President and Vice
President began to operate, and made 1t
necessary that the 4th OF March be in
auguratiOn day thereafter.
Senators believe that the foregoing is
a splendid reason for reconSidering the