Evening star., 1909-03-07


| that for ten years the wind had been
| from the north or northwest on the 4th
| day of March. Substantially similar con-
| ditions have existed on the 3Oth Of April
| to those of the 4th of May.
1.-THE deaths of at least one President
and Of many thousands of people have
been due TO these conditions, and this
| alone would seem to be sufficient to
justify the proposed change.
1.-The particular presidential term which
may be affected by this amendment is
| not stated. because # the amendment
| should be adopted the date of its ratifica-
| tion cannot be foretold.
1.-The second article curtails the term
| of the members of the House of Repre-
| sentatives In existence at the first gen.
| eral election after its ratification by
| changing the day of the termination Of
| said term from the 4th of March to the
| 31st day Of December, and substitutes the
| 31st day of December for the 4th Of
March as the day for the beginning and
termination of the official term OF MEM
| bers of Congress
"The object sought to be accomplished
| by the ratification of the amendment Is
| to change the time fixed for the COM
mencement and termina ton of the Off
cial term of members of the House OF
| Representatives. The necessity for such
a change is obvious from a conSidera tiOn
Of the evils which flow from our present
system of representation"
The National Committee Movement.
| The organized movement for change
of the inaugural date, which resulted in
| the formation Of the national committee
| on the proposed change Of inaugural day
began In 1901. 1t was the result of a
| resolution passed by the inaugural COM
| mittee of that year. requesting the Dis
| trict Commissioners to appoint such a
| number of persons as in their judgment
and discretion might be necessary to con-
stitute a committee of national character
| to consider the question of and TO take
proper steps to secure the change of the
date Of the inauguration Of the Presi-
dent from the 4th of March to such
date as in the judgment of the said COM
mittee would be more suitable for in
auguration day.
This resolution also set forth that there
prevailed general sentiment here and
throughout the country that a change
of date was desirable, not only on ac
count of the inclemency of the weather
in March, but for other public economic
reasons.
The appointment of this committee was
agreed to by the Commissioners January
8. 1902, and the appointment of the COM
mittee members followed. The local men,
bers appointed to it were Justice John NJ.
Harlan, Admiral Dewey, Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, District Commissioner Henry B. r.
Macfarland, Gen. John w. Foster, G. c.
Glover, Theodore w. Noyes. Gen. H. V.
Boynton. Beriah Wilkins, Frank A. Mum
sey. S. W. Woodward, Thomas w. Smith.
Charles ]. Bell. John Joy Edison and
James l.. Norris. These, with the gov
ernors Of forty-five states and territories,
constituted the committee.
Accepted by Governors.
The governors of the following states
accepted places on the committee: Ala
bama. Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware.
Florida. Georgia. Idaho, Illinois, Indiana.
land. Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hamp-
shire. New Jersey. New York, North
Carolina, North Dakota. Ohio, Oregon.
Pennsylvania Rhode Island South
Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont,
Virginia Washington. West Virginia.
Wisconsin. Among those who were then
governors, but who now sit in the United
States Senate, and who accepted places
on the committee are Senator's A. h.
Cummins, John Walter Smith. W. NJ.
Crane. r. NJ. La Toilette. The governors
of the territories of Arizona, Alaska, New
Mexico, Porto Rico and Hawaii also sent
acceptances.
The national committee held its first
meeting in the boardroom Of the old Dis
trict building. April I. 1902, and there
were present Gov. Hill OF Maine,
Col. George L. Morton. chief of staff of
the Governor of North Carolina: Rep
resentative T. c. McRae. representing
M. =. Benton. representing the Governor
of Missouri; Justice Harlan, Admiral
Dewey, Gen. Miles. Gen. II. V. Boynton,
c. j: Bell, Theodore w. Noyes. S. w.
Woodward, Thomas w. Smith, J. w.
Foster. c. c. Glover and John Joy Edison
The committee was organized by the
election Of Commissioner Macfarland as
chairman, James L. Norris as secretary
and Waldo c. Hibbs assistant secretary.
At the first meeting Of the committee
the question of what proposition should
be presented was fully discussed. and it
was resolved that 1t was the sense of
the committee that the inauguration date
should be changed from the 4th of March
to the last Thursday in April, but that no
particular bill or resolution should be ad-
vocated.
Senator Hoar, who was much interest
ed In the change of the date. did not wait,
however. for the organization of the ma
tional committee. At the very first day
of the session Of Congress In December.
1901. he introduced his joint resolution
providing for the proposed change to the
last Wednesday in April. After confer
ences with those prominent in the move
ment. he changed the proposed date to the
last Thursday.
Reorganized in 1905.
After the Inauguration of President
Roosevelt in 1905. the national committee
was reorganized and tho governors of
states who were not in office when the
committee was first organized were ask
ed to become members, and forty-four
sent acceptances. The deaths of Senator
Bate, Ambassador Aspiroz and Judge
Lawrence Weldon, directly attributed to
exposure inauguration day. although the
weather was not as severe in former
years, made a great impression on the
public mind, and the general sentiment in
favor of change was again loudly ex-
pressed.
When Congress met in December, 1905,
Commissioner Macfar'and. as chairman Of
the national committee, conferred with
Senator Clark of Wyoming and Repre-
sentative Jenkins of Wisconsin,, chairmen,
respectively, of the Senate and House ju-
dietary committees, representing the de-
sire of the national committee for the
proposed change of the inaugural date.
AS a result of that conference, Senator
Clark and Representative Jenkins intro
duced simultaneously in the Senate and
House a resolution framed on that of
Senator Hoar. which twice passed the
Senate. providing for a change in the
inauguration day to the last Thursday in
April. No final action, however was
taken by either house on these resolu-
tionS.
In continuation of the movement, Com
ing of the local members of the commit |
tee to be held at o'clock next Wednes-
day afternoon. in his Office in the District |
building, and has written to the govern |
ors Of states asking them to accept places |
on the committee. The section of the |
committee which will meet Wednesday is |
now composed of Henry B. F. Macfar |
land. chairman; James L. Norris. secre- |
tary; Thomas w. Smith, John w. Fos- |
fnr 6vp,ir nl Nov AYN1e