Evening star., 1932-02-18
The Federal Calendar Change.

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sentatives and returned to the Senate,
which had previously adopted 1t, for
reference to a Conference Commit
tee, involves a complete change in
the calendar Of the Federal Govern
ment. If and when ratified by three
fourths of the State Legislatures within
the seven years prescribed as limit. 1t
will first Of all bring into session early
in the January following the Congress
that has been chosen In the November
elections of the even-numbered years,
or about two months instead Of thir-
teen months after the voting. 1t will
make the newly elected Congress the
canvassing board of the presidential
election every four years. instead Of the
retiring Congress. It will cause the
Inauguration Of the newly chosen Presi-
dent and Vice President in January In
stead Of in March.
This important change, which ap-
pears likely to be effected through the
final adoption of the proposal resolu-
ton and ratification by three-fourths Of
the States, originated in the effort made
thirty or more years ago to change the
date Of the Inauguration from March
to a more clement period, about six
weeks later. So often has the day Of
Inauguration been marked by severity
of weather. inflicting great hardships
upon the multitudes assembled for the
occasion and even causing deaths from
exposure. that movement to effect Q
change Of the Constitution in respect
to the beginning of the presidential
term was begun and came within .
very small margin of success, in the
proposal stage, in the House Of Repre-
sentatives twenty-five years ago.
The change Of the Inauguration date
to the latter part OF April, as then
proposed, would have heightened the
term of the retiring Congress by six
weeks. It was this fact that brought
about complete alteration Of the prof.
ect for a readjustment Of the Federal
calendar. Instead of lengthening the
lame duck" session Of Congress it was
proposed to abolish it altogether, though
this would entail January inaugura-
ton instead Of one in March IS under
the original schedule, or one in April,
according to the amendment first pro-
posed.
The existing arrangement Of dates
for the meeting Of the newly elected
Congress and the Inauguration Of the
President was devised at q time when
communications were slow and difncult.
There were no railroads and the tele-
graph had not been invented. The col
lection Of reports Of the elections was
necessarily slow. It would have been
impossible then, at the beginning OF
the constitutional period, to ensure a
complete count Of the ballots in sea-
son for the assemblage Of the newly
elected Congress Immediately after the
new year. It would have been even
less possible for the presidential electors
to meet in their several States and cast
their ballots and transmit them to
Washington for the final canvass be-
fore the first Of January.
Under the amendment now proposed
and probably soon to be adopted the
newly elected rather than the retir-
ing Congress becomes the canvassing
body for the final count Of presidential
votes. This means that the new Con-
gress must undertake this duty imme-
diately after its assemblage In Janl-
ary. If there should be delay in the
receipt Of the returns, or If a dead
lock should occur through the chal-
longing Of electoral votes, as occurred
in 1876, little time would be had for
efiecting the final selection. If the
electoral college should fail to effect a
choice and the election were to be
thrown into the House of Representa-
lives, voting by State units, definite
decision might conceivably be impos-
sible in season for the change Of exec
utive officers In accordance with the
new schedule. That, however. Is .
remote contingency. Yet the posi-
bility remains, as perhaps q reason for
another change in the Constitution,
abolishing the electoral college" and
throwing the responsibility for the def
mite choice of President and Vice
President upon the voters themselves.