The Washington herald., 1914-11-08
THAT ouEER RLEcTToE DATE.
why @tAe First Tuesday After the
First Monday IN NovemDerp


First Monday IN Noyember.1
Nearly all the American world knows
that the national election ana nearly All
OF the State elections occur on the nrst
Tuesday after the first Monday in No
vember. but probably not one In all the
millions of voters and nonvoters can tell
'why" that date was selected for the
choice OF electors. The when Is easy
Of discovery. but that is another story. It
is always the first Tuesday after the frst
Monday. but anybody who looks at the
calendars OF several years in November
will sec that the date varies almost every
year.
This year the first Tuesday after the
FIRST Monday falls on November Z
Years ago the writer inquired Of many
Of the most learned Congressmen in
Washington as TO the why" OF the mys-
terry. Not one could answer except TO
say: Bless me, don't know" Harry
Smith, who for long years was Journal
clerk Of the House OF Representatives,
was almost a magician In dragging TO
light those little mysteries associated with
the history OF the country. He sought
high and low as to the why" actually
for months, and then gave IL up.
Every year many inquiries come to the
Dispatch in regard to this matter. and II
is really one OF the curiosities OF our ma
tionaI legislation. Making another eftort
to crafty these yquerists, and millions OF
others, the Dispatch, through, Represent
ative James Francis Burke. got in touch
with II. II. B. Meyer, chief bibliographer
Of the Congressional Library. II seemed
that II anybody could he could Mr..
Meyer replied:
"As to why the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November, instead OF the
irst Tuesday in November, was fixed for
the date of Presidential elections, We
have to report that no satisfactory an
swer can be given"
Thus a pretty little nut yet remains
for some Investigator 70 crack But Mr..
Meyer gave some interesting data bear
ing on the matter. In regard to the date
of choosing the Presidential electors, IL
is declared in the Constitution that the
Congress may determine the time for
choosing the electors, and the day on
which they shall give their votes; which
day shall be the same throughout the
United States"
By the act Of March I, T7se, II was pro
yided that the electors should meet on
the first Wednesday in December, bur
the choice of electors shall be within
nesday in December"
BY the act Of January 2, 1S4S. the day
Of the choice Of electors was fixed as
Tuesday next after the first Monday In
the month Of November" and the date of
the meeting OF the electors was changed
to the second Monday in January. There
was a strong sentiment against any
change OF the date Of the meeting OF the
electors.
The debates on the question were pub
lished in the Congressional Globe. report
ing the session OF 1sA-45, that daily being
a modestly insistent prototype OF the
amazing Congressional Record Of today;
but in all that was said it does not ap-
pear why the Tuesday next after the
first Monday of November" should have
been selected instead OF the simpler form
Of the first Tuesday Of that month.
It's so and that's all that's to be said
E. w. Lightner in the Pittsburgh Dis
patch.