The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-16
SENATOR sHAFRoTH is RIGHT.

we sec lnul oGHdLOI CudiioLh W
Colorado has taken up the proposition
which has been urged in this paper
from time to time, TO get quicker ac-
tion in Congress in response to the
November elections. AS it is now, a
Congress is elected in November, and
under normal conditions tho members
so elected do not meet as Congress
until December of the year following.
We have urged that this should nc
changed, and that the new Congress
should meet in the January. or even
in the December, after the election or
it's members This would give us an
immediate response to the popular viii,
and the members elected in November
would como into office at once, pre-
cisely as members Of tho British Parlia-
ment como into office Immediately upon
being elected. The proposition TO have
the President, who is elected in Novem'
Der, inaugurated in January, has also
boon urged in these columns, and we
are glad to see that there is at least
some notice taken Of it. We find q
brief editorial discussion of Senator
Shafroth' g proposition in tho Philadel-
phia Record, as follows;
Senator Shafroth's proposal to have
Congress meet on the first Monday In
January after national elections would
obviate the anomaly Of a legislative ses-
sion by Congress that has been de-
feated But his proposal that the Presl-
dent should be inausurated on the sec
oud Monday in January VIII send cold
shvers down the backs of people who
have long been trying 10 get tho In
date near that. In order that the weather
may be comfortable for professions and
sightseers. If the Inauguration should
occur in January all the outdoor func-
could never be known until the day camo
whether the President could be inaugu-
rated outside of the Capitol and In the
presence OF a vast thronG.
The Record appears to approve the
incoming Of the new Congress two
months after it is elected. That is sure
" long enough TO wait for the new
deal to begin. In fact, the new Con
gress ought to meet the first Monday
in December, as the old Congress now
meets for its final session. That would
give reasonably quick response to the
desires of the people in changing the
membership OF Congress. The Record
agrees that this is desirable, and ii
seems to us that the sentiment in favor
of this must necessarily grow until il
crystalizes into an overwhelming e1
preston Of popular opinion at an clec
tion that will order the change.
But the Record docs not sees its way
clear to second Senator Shafroth ::
proposition that the President should be
| inauguratcd on the second Monday II
January after his election, This reluc
tance to give effect to the November
Presidential election two months after
| il is held is an unreasonable reluctance
The objection that the weather is not
good, or may not be good, amounts tc
nothing. The reasonable and proper de
sire that the people voice should bt
given as carly effect as practicable, IL
the overwhelming reason for the change
and it ought to DO tho controlling rea
son in every one's mind. To postpone
| Tue -hPii' 'N'h, W
until any other time, merely denies Tho
newly elected President the right tc
take prompt charge OF National affair:
as the people have dccreed that he shall
do. The only object in having elec
tions is to get at the popular desire a:
to the changes in officials and to carry
out the policies that the people approve
by their ballots. When this popular
decision is made, the sooner it is pu
into effect the better. The. objection
that because comparatively few thou
sand people in Washington might fint
the weather ineonvenient is too friv
olous a criticism to be urged at all
and loses sight Of the fact that thu
weather is uncertain at any fixed date
The main thing is to give weight II
tho popular decision as rendered il
November; and the people have righ
to have as ea-ly action upon that as il
feasible, and to have any laws that in
terfere with this speedy giving cffec
to their will, changed so as to get tn
speediest result practicable.
MARCH FIRE LOSSES.