The Washington times., 1909-03-04
CHANGE THE DATE
Of INAUGURATION
Weather Conditions Again
Arouse Public Men
TO Action.
II. B. F. MCFARLAND
HEADS MOVEMENT
Members of Congress Say Nam
ing of Later Day Is Most
DESTROYS.

- Z
That is the burden of every converse
ton today, from the White House 10 /
the Capitol
Not a voice has been raised against .
the proposition. and after the exhibit .
q ton of today's weather, it is safe 10 4
say that there never again viii be an 1
other President inaugurated as early as /
r. March 4.
That the Chief Executive should insist /
upon exposing himself TO such weather /
as is dealt out here today, manifestly /
inviting fate 10 do her worst, is tho as /
eertion OF members of Congress on both I
- sides of the Capitol, and they Joined in 7
: The vague hope that the date will be /,
changed
p Senator Cunom. one OF the veterans Of I
the Senate, made the statement this /
morning that not in all his experience
10 Washington has he seen such a day !
on March 4 as this. He recalled the in /
suguration Of President Harrison. when
Il rained, but was not SO cold. Thou
sands of persons who attended those
ceremonies on the east portico Of the
ca pitol took cold from the exposure,
and many Of them died.
Make Another Effort.
Commissioner mcfarland this morn
ing said that tomorrow he would com
nnIlnicate with the other members or
the national committee on the change
80 Of Inauguration Day.
Certainly said Mr.. mcfarland, to
: days weather is a convincing argument
for the change Of Inauguration Day u
- the last Thursday in April, when the
weather is always balmy here. Our
national committee for the change of
. inauguration Day was formed after the
Inauguration Of 1901, when Senator Bate
of Tennessee; Ambassador Asplros, OF
New Mexico; Judge Weldon, Of the
Court of Claims, and other prominent
~ men. died as q result of the exposure
l invited fifteen members OF the lnau-
m E1Jral committee of that year and the
~ Governors of the States and Territories
10 act as a national committee
.s Senator Hoar, then chairman OF the
Judiciary Committee, took a deep inter
r est in the matter, and framed resoIu-
- ton providing for an amendment 10 IilS
Constitution, making the last LuuTsuag
= in April inauguration Day, which, uli-
- der his guidance, twice passed the sen
- ate unanimously. In each instance our
49, committee appeared before Ine I1ouse
Judiciary Committee and argued al
length in favor of the proposed amend
ment but in each instance the commit
lee failed 10 agree upon report, 1nuCh
time being taken in discussion OF AGA
deulic questions related, but not neceS-
sarily involved
Worked Hard for 1t.
we argued before the House Commit
tee that the chances Of just such a day
as this were such that the change ought
- 10 he made, even though there was good
weather every other time.
We had conducted an active prOpa-
g7nda through the newspapers OF the
country and were able to produce editor
ials from all over the United tSates, as
well as letters from governors and other
representatives Of public opinion IN IA
VOr of the chanRe.
NO real argument was presented
against il The objections came from
ffose who thought it was not worth
while, and those who thought that a
change in the meeting time Of Congress
ought to be made and could not agree
upon the date that ought 10 be selected,
Of course If il did not require 4 con-
stitutional amendment the change
would be made. But we must agitate
until il is made. I hope it will not wait
until some outgoing or incoming PresI-
NJ dent is killed by pneumonia as the re-
- suit of exposure 70 such weather as thai
Of today"
The committee consists Of Henry 3. F
Mcfarland, chairman; James L. Nor
RS. secretary, Thomas ". Smith. JOIN
". Foster. Admiral George Dewey
Gen. Nelson a. Miles. 9. J. Bell. :. "
Woodward. c. c Glover. Frank A
Moves, Justice John NJ Harlan, John r
wilkins. Gen John VI. Wilson, an(
governors OF the States and Territories
Dick to Front
Senator Dick Of Ohio, who is know
as the friend OF all kinds Of trooTs
also declared himself IN favor OF
change in the date. In the corridors o.
the Capitol the same expressions werD
heard Along the line OF march tn
language was TO the same point, bu
much worse.
Especially vehement were the visitors
Change the date for the Inaugural
ton"
That is the slogan that every visito
will take back home with MIN, and )
rs safe to say that such q measure vii
be more popular, II such thing coul
be possible, with persons out OF Wash
inrTon than With the residents OF n
Capital.
House Members Favor.
With scarcely an exception member
~ the House were emphatic in decarin
that Congress should take steps at III
very earliest moment 10 bring about
change. Despite the fact that such
change would necessitate an amenomeI
10 the Constitution, Republicans an
Democrats alike did not hesitate 10 Civ
voice TO their opinion in this TeSpec
Many OF them declared that TO-DAY
storm viii result i'm the deaths OF nun
dreds and the Illness Of thousands
Representative J. Hampton moore
philadelphia, said that instead OF BEN
grand and solemn occasion Ihau& pr
ton Day is invariably 50 oaG, WedlAS
wise that il becomes one Jt chaos an
wholesale Illness.
Il have no patience said NJ Moo
TODAY with those who wish 70 ker
. the present day I'm order TO avoid chan
ing the Constitution. ] viii venture u
prediction that hundreds Of persons "
leave washington tonight and 80 hon
10 die as a result OF ma!adies co
fracted iva Wa sllnEtou- Thousands
others will certainly go home victims
pneumonia Could anything arg
stronger for a change IA the date
Representative John ". Weeks
Massachusetts said that me had favor
4 change for many years.
Recalls March &, 1881
ct have no patience said M Moo
date for many years" said Mr. Week
The first inauguration I attended "
in 1881, when Garfield was inaugUrate
on that day as a naval cadet ! march'
through the streets Of Washington whi
were thick with slush. and while the
have not been any Inauguration da
like that OF March 4, 1881, and TO-DAY.
IS 2 matter OF record that these da