Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-02
THE PRESIDENTS OATH.
How 1t will be Administered to Gen
Harrison.
THE CUSTOM OF THE PAsT-THE BIBLES ON
WHICH THEY WERE SWORN PRESENTED TO THE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ESTABLISHED BY
CUSTOM AND NOT BY LAW.

CUSTOM AND NOT BY LAW.
The President will take his oath of office be-
fore an immense concourse Of people on the 4th
of March. The booming Of cannon will an.
nounce to the crowded city that he has kissed
the Bible, and that the executive responsibilities
rest upon him. At almost the same instan,
electric nerves will convey the Information to
every part Of the country that the nation has 9
new President The immense platform that has
been built out from the east portico Of the cap
itol will hardly suffice for the officials and In
vited guests who attend upon the ceremonies
and all the great space of the capitol park and
adjacent streets will not give suffcient standing
room for the public. The President-elect will
take the oath OF Office and deliver his inaugural
from a little platform raised above that upon
which Congress and the officials will be assem-
bled. By his side will be the retiring President,
the Chief Justice and the inaugural committee
OF the House and Senate. On the main plat
form will be assembled the Supreme Court In
open session; the cabinet, the Senate and the
House. the marshal and officers of the court
aud of both houses together with members OF
the press and Others who. from their official po-
sition. may gain admission. II is not essential
that the oath should be administered by the
Chief Justice, but the custom has been generally
observed and Chief Justice Fuller will swear In
the successor to his patron. II has been said
that VIM. Henry Harrison, grandfather OF Gen.
Harrison, was sworn In by one of the associate
justices, but all the papers of that day
record that Chief Justice fancy admins
tered the oath. 1t is not impossible that
the Bible then used may serve again on this oc-
casion. Nobody can remember Just when the
custom began, but it has been usual for many
years to present the family Of the President
with the Bible upon which the oath has been
taken.
Mr.. CLEvELANDs BIBLE.
Sometimes the President-elect has a Good
Book to which he is attached by asso-
citation and his oath is taken upon 1t. Cleve-
land was sworn In on q Bible that was given
him by his mother. IL has several times oc-
CURED that family Bible has been used, though
ordinarily the clerk OF the Supreme Court pro-
vides O new book which Ia afterwards properly
inscribed and presented to the wife or some near
relative of the President. Mrs. Lincoln was
presented with the Bible with which her hus-
band sealed his solemn oath, and Mrs. Grant
was given that used at the ceremony Of her hus-
bands first inaugural. One Of the justices of
the Supreme Court furnished the Bible for the
second inaugural, and afterwards preserved 1t as
q precious memento. Hayes took the oath of
Office two or three times In private before the
public ceremony occurred. So 1t Is probable
that more than one Bible is kept as q sacred
souvenir, but the book he kissed In the pres
ence OF the people, on the east portico, was
preserved by Mrs. Hayes IL IL presumed that
all or most ofthe Bibles used In the earlier cere
monies in the nations history have been pre-
served by some one, but they have been lost
track Of. An old Bible that has done service for
oaths before the court for nearly hundred
years Is still In the possession Of the Supreme
Court, and it is not unlikely that the oath of
Jefferson was pledged upon it. IL Is not known
Dy the oficisls OF the court what became
OF William Henry Harrison's Bible. 1t ought to
be In the possession of some member Of the
family, and II 1t can be found it will probably be
used in the ceremony on Monday. II not II Ia
likely that Mrs. Harrison has Bible which she
would like the general to be sworn In on.
NOT REQUIRED By Law.
The presence Of the Supreme Court or, in tact
of Congress is not essential to the installation
of the President. They are there in obedience
dignity to the occasion. In the earlier days the
President took his oath and delivered his In
augural In the Senate chamber or hall Of the
House. The Inauguration Of Jefferson, which
was the first to occur In Washington,
tine
nor the Speaker of the House being pres
ent. This inaugural ceremony has gone into
history as the simplest ever held The picture
Of Jefferson riding on horseback to the capitol,
unescorted and hitchinR his horse to tree, has
been often drawn by writer's and orators, but Y
no figure of speech. A block Of wood In which
il embedded Q staple and part OF horse-chain,
which it 10 supposed served to hold the horse Of
this simple patriot on that occasion, b preserved
BY the architect q the capitol IL was found
few years ago, which had evidently been used -
Q hitching-poGt In front Of the capitol
The oath was administered 10 Je0erSou ~
Chief Justice Marshall In the presence Of the
two houses Of Congress and such o. the cltlr
Gems - could ind room in the small nagmsnt
Of the capitol then standing. The hall was the
same - now occupied BY the Supreme Court
and would not furnish ssating space for the
members Of the House alone, - numerous .
they now ere. Je0srson's second inaugural
occurred In The same place. end Ma6isoo's I've
inangurals wUU held In the "a III g 1eDeo-
ouot6f1vo4 now Oeutuogy hall