Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-02-28

w dSlllllS tOll, req. LO.--N lcWlIlS
the weather probabilities Of ihau-
guration day in the light of the
law OF averages the odds would
be laid as follows:
Fair and balmy IL to l
Mild but overcast ....... 5 to /
Cold and damp ...... Even
Very cold and very damp. 4 to 5
Snow, hail, etc. ....... 3 to |
Blizzard Is to |
Cold mathematics of histori-
cal record would indicate such
odds to be fair. 1t is an even bet
that Mr.. Harding will need a
heavy overcoat when he rides to
the capitol and three chances out
five that some one should be
nearby with an umbrella and ov-
ershOeS. 1t seems to be safe at
twelve to one that Mr.. Harding
will not experience the perfect
spring day which greeted Mr..
Wilson on the occasion Of his first
inaugural.
On three occasions Washington
has given the inauguration crowd
Il weather welcome in which the
warmth was consciously absent.
President Grants second ceremo-
ny was bitter cold" chronicles OF
that day recorded. the wind be
ing of the keen, fierce kind
Young cadets parading with
out OverCoats were removed in
sensible from the lines" saws one
account which describes the quad
RENAL ball as d most dismal al
fair" at which the various cham
paSneS were found frozen.
Mr.. Harrison met with "bleak
and bitter cold day with a raw
wind blOWin9.' but the historians
neglect to mention the condition
OF the liquids.
The climatic climax. however.
came with the inauguration of
Mr.. TAFT when a blizzard howled
out of the north. gripping tele-
graph wires. stalling trains and
utterly spelling an elaborate pro-
gram. Thousands of spectators
waited in the railway cars in cold
drifts miles from Washington
while Mr.. Taft was being sworn
in in the senate chamber, the first
indoor ceremony in IS years. il
the historian will ignore the more
or less informal illaugurations Of
Tyler, Fillmore, Johnson, Arthur
and Roosevelt for uneXpired
terms.
The fierce nature Of Washing
tons weather gods has led to ma
ny movements to change the in
augural dates-the proponents OF
later date being about equal to
those who believe that the Undue
ton of the new president and
congress should follow more
closely the verdict of the polls.
Tradition only is responsible for
the maintenance of March 4 as
the time for the ceremony. it is
said, a careful research OF legis-
laive records failing to reveal the
specific naming OF that day.
Two theories are prevalent as
to the manner in which the pres
ent date was selected. One is that
the revolutionary fathers after an
exhaustive computation, became
convinced that March 4 would not
fall on Sunday in any leapyear
Somebody evidently enormously
evaluated their "x" quantity in
that case. for March 4 has come
on Sunday three three times since
Washington's inaugural i'll New
York.
The second theory is based on
the minutes of the first COnstitu-
tional convention where the dele
gates (under date of September
Is, 1881 did resolve unanimous
" H** that the first Wednesday
in January be the day for APP
pointing electors IN the several
states; that the first Wednesday
in February be the day for the
electors to assemble in their re-
spective states and vote for presi-
dent, and that the first Wednes-
day in March, next, be the time
and the present seat of congress
the place for commencing pro
ceedings under said constitution.
"The first Wednesday i'll March
next" happened to be the 4th, &C
cording to those holding with the
second idea, and March 4. thence
forth, weather notwithstanding
has been the day for "commenc-
ing proceedings"
President Wilson recommends