Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-04

One year from today some man will be
inaugurated President of the United
States. Just who that man will be it is
the principal business of the American
public from now until November to de-
termine. But whoever he may be, there
will be great procession. magnificent
celebration and a grand bah. Hundreds
of thousands of visitors will crowd into
the Capital city of Washington. It will
be wonderful if-and this is a big Tiff
the weather is good. Weather I'm Wash
ington in March is seldom good. That is
why Presidents are so often inaugurated
in billiards., that is why Inauguration
day presages pleurisy, pneumonia and
all manner of pulmonary troubles.
1t is said that after long years of agita-
ton and disappointing failures the pros
poets are excellent that the resolution.
introduced by Representative Robert l..
Henry of Texas. providing for an amend
ment to the federal Constitution which
will change the date of presidential in
augurations will pass both the Senate
and the House of Representatives. In
the main the resolution is one that every
body favors. and yet it has been very
hard to get Congress to act upon it, If
the resolution passes and ultimately is
ratified by three-fourths of the states, it
will effect q number of important re-
forms besides that of changing the date
upon which the American President
takes his oath of office.
The resolution proposes that, beginning
with the inauguration of 1917, the induc-
ton into Office of the chief
Changes magistrate of the country
shall take place on the last
4AVPVScu' Thursday of April, instead
of on the 4th Of March. This will neces-
state the frightening of the term of the
President who is to be elected next fall
SO that it shall expire at noon on the
last Thursday of April, 1917, instead OF
at noon on the 4th of March, 1917. 1t
will be seen from this that If the resolu-
ton becomes part of the organic law
of the country the President elected next
fall will have term more than six
weeks longer than any President who
ever has been indicted into office.
1t is provided in he resolution that
upon the ratification Of the proposed
amendment by the necessary number of
states the terms of representatives and
senators will thereafter end and begin on
the second Tuesday of January instead
of the 4th of March. At the first con-
gressional election after the amendment
is ratified the candidates then elected
will begin their active service as men,
bers of the House on the second Tuesday
of January instead of waiting until the
following December for the regular ses-
sion of Congress, or until an extra ses-
sion is convened. Under the present law
the men elected I'm November begin to
draw their salaries on the 4th of March
following. but do not meet in regular ses-
sion until thirteen months after the cleo
ton. The proposed plan provides that
Congress shall meet on the second Tues
day of January at least once a year. and
that there shall not be any short session
whose expiration is fixed by the Consti-
tuition or by law other than the custom
airy resolution for adjournment without
day..
1t is felt that the advantages of this
plan are great as compared with the
present system of congress
Advantages sional service. In the first
r NJ, place, it will prevent the
OF Flan. old Congress from legislat-
ing after new one has been elected. 1t
frequently happens that the old Congress
is hostile to the wishes OF the people as
expressed In the election at which the
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