The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-11-23
MARCH 4Tn IS SUNDAY
Secretary Lansing will not be Pres
ident for a Day. Question was
Settled Many Years Ago.

Settled Many Years ago.
While the hotels and restaurants
are worrying in all the larger cities
over Sunday New Years eve,
President Wilson has settled the
question of Sunday, March 4. He
will take the oath of office on the
day prescribed, to obviate any ques-
tion of twenty-four hour lapse be-
tween his two terms The formal in
auguratiOn will occur on Monday.
1t seems that back in 1921, when
President Monroe was about to enter
upon his second term, the fourth of
March fell upon Sunday as it does
! this year, and John Marshall was
asked about it. Marshall's letter has
been resurrected from the ancient
files, and is published by the New
York Times. The state department
will be governed by the Marshall
opinion.
What Marshall wrote is Of interest
historically as well as because it set
ties an interesting question Of pro-
cedure:
From Washington, Feb. 20, 1921.
Sir: l have conversed with my
brethren on the subject you suggest
ed when l had the pleasure of seeing
you, and will take the liberty to COM
municate the result.
GAS the constitution only provides
that the president shall take the
oath it prescribes before he enters
on the execution Of his Office and as
the law is silent on the subject, the
time seems to be in some measure
at the discretion of that high officer.
There is an obvious propriety in TAX
ing the oath as soon as it can con-
yeniently be taken and thereby short
ening the interval in which the exc
cutive power is suspended. But some
interval is inevitable The time of
the actual president will expire, and
that of the president-elect commence,
at IL in the night Of the third OF
March. 1t has been usual to take
the oath at midday on the fourth.
Thus there has been uniformly and
voluntarily an interval of twelve
hours during which the executive
power could not be exercised. This
interval may be unavoidably pro-
longed. Circumstances may prevent,
the declaration of the person who is
chosen until it shall be too late to
communicate the intelligence of his
election until after the fourth of
March. This occurred at the first
election.
"Undoubtedly, on any pressing
emergency the president might take
the oath in the first hour Of the 4th
of March; but it has never been
thought necessary SO to do, and h'sy
has always named such hour as he
deemed most convenient. If any cir
cumstances should render it unfit to
take the oath on the fourth of March
and the public business would sus-
tain no injury by it's being deferred
till the fifth, no improperly is per-
ceived in deferring it till the fifth:
Whether the fact that the fourth Of
March comes this year on Sunday
may, perhaps, depend very much on
public opinion and feeling. OF this,
from our retired habits, there are
few, perhaps less capable of forming
a correct opinion than ourselves.
Might we hazard conjecture, 1T
would rather be in favor of postpon-
ing the oath till Monday, unless some
official duty shall require it's being
taken on Sunday. But others who
mix more in society than we do can
give conjectures on this subject much
more to be confided in than ours.
with very great respect, I have
the honor to be, your obedient SER
want, 81. Marshall.
1t was reported that many catch
bets were offered before the election,
that the successor of President Will
son would be democrat, the theory
being that no matter who was elect
ed. Secretary of State Lansing would
hold for twenty-four hours. But the
ghost has been laid by the discovery
of the Marshall letter. The secre-
tary of state did not hold for twen-
ty-four hours in 1921. as has been
generally supposed. Neither would
Secretary Of State Lansing hold this
year, even though Mr.. Hughes had
been elected and had taken the oath
of office on Monday.