Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-05
Proposed That the Executive Shall
Not Be Reflected.
SENATE COMMITTEE DEBATING
Probable Suggestion of January Date
for Meeting of Congress and
Inaugural Ceremony.

prohibition against reelection. but also
change In the date of inaugura ton
| ana or the beginning Of new Congress-
"hether the two propositions-one af-
fecting the term of President and the
other anecting the date of inauguration
ana OF the beginning of a new Congress
Will De hftched together in one resolu-
tloln or VII be put in two or more is
one OF the important questions to be
determined. But the committee is to
consider all proposals and to make
report covering all of them at the same
time.
Senator Clark. chairman of the COM
mittee. indicated yesterday in answer to
a direct question that not more than
two more meetings of the committee
would probably be necessary before the
recommendations Of the committee would
De determined upon and made to the
senate. The committee has already dis
cussed the questions informally at re-
cent meetings, and there is a general SEN
timent In the committee in favor of
some changes Of the federal Constitution
on these matters.
Suggestion of an Earlier Date.
The proposals for changes in the in
augural date most strongly urged upon
the committee are not in accord with
the oft-proclaimed desires Of the people
of the District and Of many public men
that the inauguration should be at sea-
son Of the year when good weather
would make the occasion even more of a
pageant than 1t is at present Instead,
several of the members of the committee
reel that the Inauguration date should
De moved up closer to the election fixing
1t somewhere between January 1 and
January ID. after the November cleo
tions
The Informal discussions of these. aues-
tions IN the committee and in conferences
between members of the committee push
ing for changes, it is understood indi-
cate majority sentiment in the commit
tee:
In favor of making the President of the
United States ineligible for reelection.
In favor Of having the President and
newly elected Congress take office soon
after the election.
Against postponing the inauguration
date until later in the spring.
-~- Rixed Tenure for President.
Before the committee is a resolution
OF Senator Works of California. propos-
| ing the lensthening of the presidential
term to six years. and forbidding re-elec-
ton. There will be fight in the COM
mittee over the length of the term of
the President, some desiring a six-year
non-re-eiection term, some a four-year
| non-re-election term and others no change
at all. Senators Clark, Root, Brandegee
| and others are understood to be in favor
| OF the six-year idea. while Senator Bacon
Just how a majority of the committee
will stand is not predicted at this time
although some of the six-year men are
! claiming the lead.
There is also before the committee a
| proposal to change the inauguration date
from March 4 until the last Thursday
| In April, thus removing the pageant from
the pneumonia season to the fair skies
| time OF year. Instead of following that
suggestion, members of the committee
have urged change that will put the
| new President and the new Congress in
power sooner after the election. There is
| no movement on foot to change the time
of the national election. and 1t will prob
ably remain in November
1t has been suggested to the committee
that the new President and Congress
should be inaugurated as soon after the
election as the results can be properly
definitely determined. That will prob
ably require two months. it is estima ted,
and therefore a date between January /
and January u. following the November
election has been tentatively agreed upon
| by the advocates Of the change.
December Date Retained.
AS Congress must meet to canvass the
electoral votes after the national election
| and formally ratify the election of the
President. it is not expected that the
| plan Of having Congress convene on the
! first Monday in December will be
| changed. The time Of the old Congress
| will expire with the Inauguration of the
new President and the new Congress, in
January. according to the program Of the
advocates of an earlier inauguration
| Those who advocate this change point
out that the terms of the new members
of Congress. elected in November, really
begin March 4 following. and that the
change they proposed would simply move
| forward the time of the beginning of
their terms couple of months 1t would
also meet the objections now raised.
that a repudfated Congress meets and
| enacts legislation during the short ses-
sion that follows the election and lasts
from the first Monday in December until
| March 4.
Those senator's who oppose the change
OF inaugural date to the last Thursday
In April, = suggestion that was twice ap.
proved by the Senate some years ago.
say that question of weather or Of
making the ceremony OF inauguration a
great pageant should not be a factor in
determining the time OF a change of ad-
ministration. They are generally inclined
to minimize what they call the SHOW
features Of the Inauguration
Plan Before the House.
proposition, decidedly different. is
now before the House OF Representatives
and will probably be acted on before
long 1t specifies that the newly elected
Congress shall convene in the January
following the election and canvass the
electoral vote and that the new Presiden,
shall be sworn in the last Thursday In
April.
Those who are familiar with the House
plan and the proposal made to the Senate
judiciary committee. argue that the pa.
geant features of the Inauguration can.
not be minimized, because the people Of
the country have come to expect them
and that from that standpoint an inaueu.
ration in January would be fully as OBJ
jectionable. II not more so. than one a,
the present date 1t il also contendet
that the bringing back OF the dying Con.
gress just to look over the electoral
vote would not be practicable. becausl
only those members VINO are reelected
L are likAlv coma hack