New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-30
THE DATE OF INAUGURATION
Argument for Change, but NOT OIL
Account of Weather.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir. Referring TO your editorial note oe
this morning on the question of chahse VI
date for the inauguration of the fresioen''
for one agree with Mr.. Harrison thaI tie
proposition as it stands is simply 10 turn
the Constitution of the United States iiito q
weather vane"
There are deep and powerful reasons ior
such a change. but they are not reasons
of weather. The only good reason Is -
make our system more completely ihee'
our theory of representative government
We should make the change so as 10 oilHo
the new Congress and the new adrfliniS.ia
ton i'm as soon as possible after the eiec-
ton. Now the new Congress usually warts
a wear before it is heard from and toe aa-
rninistration four months. In other Words'
there is far from anything like an inineui-
ate response to the popular verdict
We have had at least one great Crisis IN
our history when this delay had enormous
Importance and farreaching influence
7 mean that of 1860. The outcome OF tie
vote of that year was a great polucai
revolution What happened? we sui hdu
the old Congress in power for several piV-
otaI months, aud an administration IN totai
onpositton to the declared will Of the
country.
Who can say what might have happeheu
had the guiding hand of Lincoln peeh at
the helm from December to March, lhstedu
of that of the inert Buchanan? Would inc
Southern forts have been left without gar
risons? 1t is uncomfortable. Would there
have been an Assistant Secretary of State
like Prescott to carry on treasohaoie eoi
respondence with the Governor of South
to, 70 President
advice he received? We know far other
wise.
There can be nothing more sure than that
if the forts had been so garrisoned land rec
ords of the War Department show that
there were plenty of men available despite
General SCOTS statement to the Presidenp
secession would have stopped with south
carolina For there was common sense
enough i'm the South (which was Waverihs
far more than We usually appreciated TO
know that closed ports could only mean
defeat
Even later had the Brooklyn been sent
as was proposed with men and provisions
TO Sumter things would have taken an
other turn General Scott again came TO
the fore and caused the substitution OF a
weak merchant steamer. the Star of the
West which promptly turned back when
fired upon and left Anderson and his de
voted company to their fate. Had the first
intention been held to land we must give
Buchanan the credit of intending TO hold to
it, the feeble battery on Morris Island.
which had never before fired shot, would
not have dared to fire upon the powerful
man-of-war, or had it done so quick work
would have been made of it's destruction.
and the ship would have anchored In
Charleston Harbor 20 stay there, and the
Union flag would never have been lowered
from Sumter.
All this. Mr. Editor. was the outcome
of our failure TO have our practice meet our
theory Change the date of inauguration
by all means. for a real reason, by put
ting it ahead four months, and not back. for
a mere reason of weather. Government Is
a serious thing. and we should treat it seri-
ously and not from bookkeeping point Of
view. a-.-----=4-------------
Even as matters stand much might be
done VIII any one say that there Is COM
mon sense in having the President of the
United States stand on a platform at the
Capitol and .'orate" for the benefit of two
or three thousand people. of whom not
as many hundreds can hear his voice, and
then stand for hours and see a very ordi-
nary procession file by? Rather far would
for one see him so with a dignifed escort
to the Senate Chamber or Hall of the Rep
resentatives and, taking the oath OF office,
say nothing beyond. He has other means
of saying what is in his mind besides
making speech. Having sworn to do
his duty, why should he not return to the
White House, instead of. under the inl-
mense stress of such a day, expose the
most valuable life in the country Ito MAKE
a Roman holiday?
Whether there be a change of date or not.
common sense would seem TO demand a
change of procedure.
F. E CHADWICK.
New York, May 49, 1910.