New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-20
lfTSREpRESENTED.

lfTSREPRESENTEB.
The failure of the House of Repre-
seatatires last Monday to approve the
joint resolution proposing an amend
ment TO the Constitution changing the
date Of the Inauguration. lergthening by
eight weeks the short session of Con
gress and closing certain gaps in the
Presidential succession is probably at
sributahle more TO ignorance and nlIs-
representation than to deliberate judg-
ment. Some of the opponents Of the
resolution must have neglected 70 read
il. for they rang the changes on the old
argument shat the Constitution was to
he amended merely 10 prevent Congress
men from catching cold" at March in
auguratiens and to help swell the cot
fers OF Washington icadesmen anxious
TO attract larger crowds TO the capital
for the display We regret that Repre-
sentative from this city, Mr.. Harrison,
should have opposed the resolution on
such trivial and mistaken grounds as
these
What is the proposition? It is simply
this 20 turn the Constitution of the
United States into weather vane. 1t
is simply this, to set in motion the most
solemn machinery in the hands of TINS
Congress TO bring about an amendment
10 the most immortal document ever
penned For what purpose? For the
purpose of securing sunshine upon the
date Of an inaugural parade. MI
Speaker the proponents OF this measure
evidently look upon the inauguration OF
the President as sort of third show.
rivs ling the Barnum & Bailey circus
parade and the Buffalo Bill parade that
we saw this morning. They look upon the
inauguration of the President OF the
United States not as solemn junction
with a meaning which goes deep down
into the roots of our history, but as
show to be provided for the entertain
ment Of those people who may happen to
be in Washington st that time.
Now: If that were the sole or even the
chief purpose of the amendment sub
mitted Congress might possibly be JUST
fed in treating it as Of minor conse-
quence. But it has other purposes far
more important In the first place. by
shifting the date Of the inauguration
from March 1 to the last Thursday in
April it extends the second session Of
each Congress nearly two months. Such
an extension is highly desirable. since
under present conditions little legisia-
tion beyond the preparation OF the sup
ply bills is possible at the short session.
and even the supply bills have 70 be
passed only half digested. The chair
men of The Appropriations committees
of the two houses have repeatedly COM
planned that il the rush Of the short
session many appropriations are allowed
TO slip through which would be held up
and rejected were there time enough
Ia give them proper scrutiny. A second
session of FIVE months instead of three
months would greatly promote economy
and efficiency in legislation.
Moreover, the amendment suggested
bridges over a dangerous hiatus in the
Presidential succession. As the Consti-
tuition stands. it fails to take into con-
sideration the contingency that the
President-elect may die in the interval
between the canvassing Of the vote of
the electoral colleges and the date set
for the Inauguration. IT may be held
that the Vice president elect under such
circumstances can qualify on Inaugural
tion day as Vice President and then as
sumo the Presidency. but that is only an
inference suggested by common sense.
The amendment removes all doubt by
definitely securing the succession in the
Yice-President
Furthermore, both President elect and
Eice-President-elect may die in the in
teryaI between the canvassing OF the
electoral vote and the inauguration.
SEINE extra Constitutional remedy would
then have 10 be sought. for there is no
Constitutional provision for success
sion under those circumstances The
proposed amendment gives Congress the
power when there IS no person entitled
TO hold the Office Of President or Vice
President. 10 declare by law what Off
Ger shall then act SIS President There
is need for such an authorization for 1t
is easily conceivable that with three
parties dividing the electoral vote in
fairly equal shares there might be no
election Of President by the House of
Representatives ana no election Of Vice
President by the Senate under the Con
stitutionsl requirement of a two-thfrds
quorum and q ma jority vote for the
winner not of quorum but of the en-
tire membership. Instead of merely
furnishing q better opportunity for in
augurstion street parades in Washing
ton the amendment defeated last Mon
day seeks 70 cure defects in a vital feat
ure Of the Constitution. legitimately
completing the good work accomplished
by the Twelfth Amendment
hAKTNG FOR PEACE IN SOUTH