Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-12-01

regard to party; holding, as they do
that if Mr.. Hayes is elected, according
to official returns, the House will throw
out the votes of South Carolina, Louis
lana and Florida, on the charge OF
frauds in making up and counting the
vote, and that if Mr., Tlden should be
elected by one of the still doubtful
states giving him its electoral vote, the
Senate will decline to consider the vote of
Mississippi, on the charge OF intimida-
ton. For it seems by this time to be
pretty we'll settled and agreed, that the
vote must be counted by both Houses of
Congress Jointly,
Should either candidate, after the
counting of the vote by Congress, be
considered fairly elected, it might, even
then, not be considered expedient to give
to the ceremony of Inauguration the
publicity that has, heretofore, generally
attended that occasion; the more so as
neither the constitution nor statutory
law makes any provision for any public
display. 1t is true that, by common
consent" inaugurations have, as a rule,
taken place in public, and, under ordin-
AIRY circumstances, it is not likely that
this rule would be departed from. The
official records of the government show
that only on single occasion was the
propriety of the publicity given to pres
idential inaugurations questioned. That
was at the second Inauguration of Wash
iugton (1793) in Philadelphia, The
ceremony took place quietly in the Sen
ate Chamber in Independence Hal"
because question had been raised wheth-
err the oath of Office should he taken by
General Washington privately or in
public. The matter was discussed in a
cabinet meeting which, it seems, declared
in favor of the public inauguration and
it appears that Washington himself was
rather in favor of that mode; hence that
Inauguration was made public affair
Official date, to which your correspon.
dent has had access by application to
the State Department, show that six
Observation-Disclosures John
Adams in 1897, Madison in 1909 and
1918, Monroe in 1921, John Quincy AID.
ams in 1925, and Andrew jackson il
1888 have all taken place in the ole
Hall of the House of Representatives il
Washington, (famiiar to many of thu
readers who visited the national capita
on their way to or from the CENTENNIAL
while four, viz: those of Washington il
| 1889 and 1898, and Jefferson in 1901
and 1905, took place in the Senate Cham
Der Twelve inaugurations have takel
place on the eastern portico of the CAPT
tol the first being that Of James Nun
roe's first term in 1917, when, the pre-
priety of this public display being agail
called in question, the precedent thu
set was not followed until 1929, whel
jackson was inaugurated on the sam
spot. His next Inauguration, however
took place in the Hall of the House 0
Representatives; but thereafter ever,
incoming president has taken the oath o
Office, and delivered his inaugural ad
dress, from the east front of the capitol
The constitution and statutes failing
to prescribe the manner in which tn
oath of office shall be taken, or the plac
where it shall be taken, there is nothing
to prevent the incoming president from
qualifying privately before any persol
authorized by law to administer oaths
from sending his inaugural address i
writing to Congress, and from enterin
upon his official duties whenever his terri
of office begins And in view of tn
present state of excitement here i
: Washington, which will scarcely be a
layed or subdued by any action Congress
may take in the premises, it is highI
, probable that our next President, who
: ever he may be, will be inaugurated pr
=, vately, and that it will rest altogethe
i with him, after he shall have entere
i upon his duties, what will be the cond
ton of the country for the four year
, next following. LIB,
e Jokes are like nuts the dryer the
are the better they crack.