The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-03-12
NAY CHANGE
The DATE Of
INAUGURATION
II ACTION IS TAKEN nov
WILL LfNeTRfN NEXT TERN
ONE PROVISION OF PROPOSED
AMENDMENT TO coNsraru.
TON WOULD ARRANGE FOR A
SPECIAL ELECTION.

ttON WOULD ARRANGE FOR A.
SPECIAL ELECTION.
WASHINGTON. March l2-a an
amendment to the constitution whachI
= now pending in congress, and
upon which at beast one branch is to
act within the next few weeks, is
rssSAfied by three fourths of the
states the time of the next president
OF the United Saes, whe, her he be
Of the United States, whether he be
Clark, will be little more chan six
weeks longer than the term of any
other man who has occupied the
White House.
Among the provisions of the pro-
posed amendment is one which fixes
the beginning and the ending of the
term OF the president ON the last
Thursday in April instead OF the
fourth of March as at present. In
order to make this change it will be
necessary to prolong the term Of
some president. and it is proposed
that the term to be heightened shah
be the one. beginning on March 4,
1918.
For years the agitation has been
ON to change the date of the presi-
dents inauguration, but there have
always been objections OF a DESTROYS
character raised and obstacles in
the way which have prevented the
step from being taken, inasmuch as it
involves the cumbersome and d fiji
cult process of amending the Federal
constitution.
Representative Robert l.. Henry
OF Texas has been at work ON the
matter for several years and has
evolved a plan which has received
the unanimous approval of the com
mbttee on the Judiciary of the house
OF Representatives and seems likely
TO be passed by the house. Further
| more, the chances of It's favorable
cons liberation by the senate are good.
No political or economic principle is
concerned in the proposed change
and no advantage can accrue to amy
pol3tical party by reason of it. That
is one of the reas oaS why its friends
believe that it has an excellent op
portunity of being passed by the pres
emit congress. They are hopeful also
that it Will be ratified by the nee
essary three-fowhts of the states be
fore the election of 1916.
The amendment further provides
that, upon its ratification, the sec
ond Tuesday of january at noon, shall
constitute the commencement and the
termination of the official term o
senators and members of the house
The congress in existence when this
amendment is ratified is to have ltS
life shortened so as to end ON tht
second Tuesday of january, followimg
Thereafter, congress is to meet an
nlSally ON the second Tuesday il
january. This means that the pres
emit so-calBed short session, the SEES
sion beginning ON the first Monday o
December in even numbered yeaIr
and necessarily ending on the fourtl
of March succeeding, is to be abol
ished. By meeting in january con
greSs cam continue to sit as long il
each year as it sees fit, and Their
viii be no elections between SESSIONS
that is, between the long session ans
the short session, as at preSent
Moreover the house will always be a.
organized body, instead of as at pres
} ent, when. following the expiration Q
the congressional term, ON March 4
and unless there is an extraordinar
session, the house does not meet am
is unorganized until the following De
cember.
Perhaps, however, the most in
portant feature of the proposed Hem
amendment to the constitution is tina
which gives power to the house c
representatives to fill the preslded
tial chair in event of the death Q
! disability of the president elect an
the ce-preSident-elect-
Under the present system and COZ
! Stitutional provision the presider
and president are actually chose
not in the general election in n,
vember, but by the electoral colleg
ON the first Wednesday in Januar!