Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-17
INTRODUCED BY GALLINGER
Proposed Amendment to the Con-
stitution.
FORMER COURSE FOLLOWED
Chairman Henry Confident the
House Will Act Favorably in
Matter of Postponement.

ate District committee. this afternoon
started the hall rolling in the Senate for
a change in the date of the inauguration
of the President and Vice President from
March to the last Thursday in April,
He introduced a resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution effecting
the change. and asked that * be referred
10 the Senate committee on judiciary. In
thus taking up the cudgels of the resi-
dents in this matter. as he has in many
things in their behalf. Senator Galiinger
follows Senator Hoar Of Massachusetts.
who was long an advocate Of this change,
and Senator Depew of New York, who
urged it at the last session.
A resolution proposing the change has
been favorably acted upon by the Senate
in previous Congresses, and the stumbling
block has then been the House. Repre-
sentative Henry of Texas. the rules chair
man of the House. is confident that a
resolution for the change Will pass the
House as at present constituted, and its
friends regard this as a favorable time
for pushing 1t in the Senate.
The resolution which Senator Gallinger
introduced this afternoon follows gener
ally that which was considered winter
before last In the House. and which came
within one-third Of vote Of passing.
Substitute for Article XII.
In place OF Article XII Of the Constitu-
ton, which provides for the meeting of
the presidential electors. the counting of
the ballots at a joint session OF the Sem
ate and the House and the inauguration
Of the President March I, there Is pro-
posed the following substitute:
'On the first day of January. 1918, or.
IL this amendment shall not have been
heretofore ratified. then on the subse-
70 90 fhnranf N
ing Congress and TI-S of senator's and
representatives therein ana terms of Of
flee of the President and Vice President
shall be extended until the laSt Thurs
day In April following the fourth day of
March. on which they would otherwise
respectively terminate, and every subse
quent Congress and term of any senator,
representa- tive. President and Vice PreEi
dent shar begin and end on the last
! Thursday in April instead of the fourth
day OF March.
THE electors shall meet in their re
| spective states and vote by ballot TO
| President and Vice President. one o
whom, at least, shall not be an inhab
| liant of the same state with themselves
| they shall name I'm their ballots the per
| son voted for as President and in distinc
| ballots the person voted for as Vice
| President, and they shall make distinct
| lists of all persons voted for as President
and of all persons voted for as Vice Presf
| dent. and Of the number of votes for each
| which lists they shall sign and certify and
| transmit sealed to the seat of the govern
ment of the United States. directed to the
| President of the Senate: the president OF
| the Senate shall, in the presence of the
| Senate and House of Representatives
| open all the certificates. and the votes
shall then be counted: the person having
| the greatest number of votes for Presiden,
| shall be the President. IL such number be
| a majority of the whole number of electors
appointed. and If no person have such a
majority, then from the persons having
| the highest numbers, not exceeding three
on the list of those voted for as President
| the House of Representatives shall choose
| Immediately, by ballot. the President.
| But in choosing the President the
| votes shall he taken by states. the rep
resentation from each state having one
vote: a quorum for this purpose shall
consist of a member Or members from
two-thirds of the states. and majority
| of all the states shall be necessary to a
choice And if the House of Representa-
tives shall not choose President when
ever the right of choice shall devolve
| upon them, before the last Thursday in
/ April next following, then the Vice Presi
dent shall act as President. as in the case
| of the death or other constitutional dis
ability of the President. The person hav-
| ing the greatest number of votes as Vice
| President shall be the Vice President, If
such number be majority of the whole
number of electors appointed. and if no
| person have majority, then from the
TWO n12heSI NUMBERS on the l1SI the SEN
ate shall choose the Vice President: a
quorum for the purpose shall consist of
two-thirds of the whole number of sena-
tors, and a majority of the whole num-
| Der shall be necessary TO choice Bu
no person constitutionally ineligible to
the Office of President shall be eligible
to that Of Vice President of the United
States.
In all cases not provided for by article
second. clause fifth. of the Constitution,
where there is no person entitled TO dis
charge the duties of the office of the
President. the same shall devolve upon
the Vice President. The Congress may
by law provide for the case where there
is no person entitled to hold the office
of President or Vice President, deciar-
ing what officer shall then act as Presi-
dent, and such officer shall act according
ly until the disa bility shall be removed
or a President shall be elected.
Simply Changes Inaugural Date.
This resolution is simply designed TO
change the inaugural date and does not
propose other changes in the federal cleo
tion system such as have been suggested
at intervals-such as changing the date
of national elections TO have the inaugu-
ration follow more closely the election
and providing for no session of an old
Congress after its successor has been
chosen.
The real friends OF the proposed change
OF the inaugural date see danger of fail
ure of the plan in these further changes
and have urged the simple proposition for
the change of date.