The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-20
INAUGURATION
SET ONE YEAR
FROM TODAY
BY EARL GOODWIN


20, 1887, will be Inauguration
Day, the first of the changed in
augural dates effective under the
Norris lame duck" amendment
to the Constitution.
The ensuing year, then, will be
one of excitement and hope Tor
thousands of Westinghouse, Tor
I. it has been estimated that a
change of administration will al.
feet possibly $4,000 residents OF
the Metropolitan area in and
about the National Capital.
President Roosevelt is now SerV'
ing a term several weeks shorter
than any preceding term, all
others having run Jour years from
March 4. The changed date is the
result of several years agitation by
Senator Norris, of Nebraska, and
others who believed that the ses-
sion of Congress following an cleo
ton was attended b. many mem
beers who had been rejected in the
elections.
These political casualties have
been termed lame ducks" Tor
many years; and the short ses-
sions of Congress. between cleo
ton days and the next March 4,
have been known as lame ducks
sessions" Many members who
had been rejected by the voters
sat and voted on bills. Under the
Norris amendment, Congress Will
convene January 3. shortly after
election day, while the inaugural
date is set at January 20.
Shock to Capital Folk
The change from March 4 to
January 20 was a distinct ShocK
to WashingtonianS who had been
striving for several years to
change the inaugural date to one
where there could be expected a
near-guarantee of good weather
for the parades and pageantry
that have become a part OF the
tnaugurals.
March 4 had become symbol OF
freakish weather; some lnauguraLS
have been clear and mild; others
have been marred by late storms
Of great severity.
Most famous of all March
billiards was the flare back"
. which married the Taft inaugural
and deluged Washington with a
deep snow. cutting off the Cap
ital City from the rest Of the ma
ton. It was the actual flare
back" or recurrence Of blizzard |
which passed over the city, went |
out to the mid-Atlantic, and re-
turned.
There had been many deaths
and illnesses from exposure OF |
troops and others taking part IN |
the inaugural parades; and be-
, cause of tens Of thousands OF peo-
pie who wanted to participate In
or view the inaugural ceremonies
and parades, several conStltu,
tional amendments were drafted
and discussed in Congress.
But not until the Norris lame
duck" proposal was launched has
the country ever taken notice Of
the matter.
Issue Still in Doubt
From all that can be CLEANED
from the political leaders on both
sides, President Roosevelt'S sup
/ porters expect he will be reelected;
and the Republican leaders here
have adopted a slogan: Roosevelt |
Can Be Beaten" and working
from that they think that he can
be beaten almost anybody can
beat him.
So with this situation, which is
/ like an irresistible force meeting
an immovable body. something Is
bound to occur in this year, pol
itical possibilities of which are
more exciting that the country
has known for several years.
Neither one side nor the other
has made sufficient progress in
this fight to give a clear idea of
what the issues will surely be.
. From time to time leaders make
speeches, such as the President,
|, and former President Hoover,
from which dopesters work UP pre-
dictions as to the next platforms,
or the issues involved, but the
wise ones refrain from approach
ing "the end of the limb" and fall
, ing off with broken regulations
for perspicacity.
I Closest approach to probability
is the statement that for many
7 people the issue will be President
Roosevelt himself. Thousands of
antiadminiStration voters are de-
termined to get Franklin Roose-
welt out of the White House re-
/ gardless of who succeeds him;
and on the contrary thousands
Of Roosevelt fans are determined
4 to vote for him on his personal
y ity. As one ardent Roosevelt fan
said recently:
! "Half the Democratic cam
Z paign is the Roosevelt radio
voice."