The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-03-03
Our Government
How It Operates
TO CHANGE
INAUGURATION DATE
By william, Rrucscrs

| dOSE OF us whose span or IRE
carries us beyond the end of
1880 are almost certain to witness
an epochal change in our govern
ment. After more than 1iO years.
our nation is about to alter a basic
date In our system of government,
! namely, the date upon which the
terms of our Presidents, Vice Pres.
idents and senators and representa-
tiyes In congress begin. In all prob
ability the change will have been
| ordered in advance of 1896. but it
will not take effect until early In
1887.
/ The fundamental revision is to
take place through adoption or rat
] tfication, by the several states of
4 the so-called Lame Duck Amend
ment" to the federal Constitution.
1t Is the consensus now that its rat
ffication as part of the organic
law is only question of time.
So. In few years then we will
witness the converting of our con
gress In January of each year for
sessions of no fixed duration or
life up to one year. and each four
years we will see a President in.
Quoted into office in the same
month. Congress now meets in De.
cember. of course, but its sessions,
started in the odd years, end auto
matically on March 4 of the sue.
ceeding even year; the sessions be-
ginning in December of the even
years may run through to the fol-
lowing December, if the legislative
body so choose The new amend,
ment will start the sessions on ian
uary 3, of every year. and they may
continue until that date OF the next
year If the work has not been done
| in the meantime.
In the case of the Chief Execu-
tive, he will take Office on january
20, of the year following his cleo
ton. The term of office beginning
next March a, therefore, appears
certain to be the one break in
ia steady succession of four-year
terms for President since the forma-
ton of our government, for it will
be reduced by the difference OF time
from January 20 to March 4, in or
der that the succeeding Presiden-
tial terms may be for four full
years.
The purpose of the amendment is,
in the words of its author, Sena-
tor George w. Norris, of Nebraska,
ito bring congress closer to the peo-
pie" And there Is not great deal
fof disagreement about that. 1t will
make congress a body more respon-
siye To the people. because seiEl.
tors and representatives who are
elected in November will take office
In just two months thereafter.
Considerable research has failed
to disclose how the term. lame
Duck" had its origin. 1t has long
been applied to the unfortunate pol
itician who guessed wrong as to
what his constituents wanted, and
was defeated. He has served through
another session of congress. how
ever. before surrendering office to
a successor.
While the new amendment will
make congress more responsive and
closer to the people. there is and
probably always will be some lack
of unanimity of opinion as to its
| value. The school of thought in
congress that opposed the amend
ment felt there was danger that con-
gress would be too responsive to
public will; that there were sneh
things as whims and public de
mands based on transformation, and
that the present period of delay af-
forded time for the electorate to
''co0l OF"
| Those who look at both sides of
the question see that danger. They
recognize Ii is possible for ma
jority of the citizens of tile Repub-
lie to be swayed by delnagoguery
from a ralcons minority. Some act
of foreign nation might possibly
engender such steaming hatred Just
in advance Of an election as TO
| cause the selection OF a majority
of congress willing TO rush into war.
Or there may be some domestic is
sue about which the flames OF pub.
lie sentiment may be famed, with
a subsequent action by congress
that would be regretted In later
years.
On the other hand, those who fos-
tered the change and who passed IL
through congress have contentled
that this new responsiveness will
work both ways 1t Is their view
that senators and representatives
win "hear from home" more quickly
than ever before If sentiment swings
back from the point that 1t reached
at the polls Plenty OF safeguards
are said 20 exist.
After watching the performance
OF congress through more than n
decade. l hold the conviction that
they represent rather good cross
section Of the population that elects
them. The voters now and then get
/ one who IS better than the aver.
/ are and now and then put one IN
Office who does no credit 10 the dis.
tricf oE<state from which he or she
comes But the average OF any.
| thing Is the sum total OF ali. al
yidei by thar number. Representa-.