St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-03
EYES OF A UNIVERSE
Are Now Focused on the Ma
tional Capital at Wash
ington,
Ready for the Impressive
Quadrennial Ceremony
Tomorrow.
How Executive Power Passes
in Peaceful Succession
Down.
Pres idents Change, but the
Government at Washing
ton Still Lives.
Special to the Globe.

formal inveStiture of chief magistrate
OF the nation. In anticipation of the
event, the Capitol City is now the focus
of the eyes of the civilized world. Its
public places are crowded with the dis
tinguished men of the country, all
awaiting that quadrennial event of such
significance, when, in obedience to the
expressed will of the people, the scep-
ter of supreme authority passes in
peaceful succession from one citizen of
their choice to another. The military
and civic display attending the progress
of the preSident-elect to the capitol and
the return of the president to the exec
utive mansion, his Official residence, is
simply an incident in the formalities of
constitutional and statutory require
ments which complete this great act.
Since the foundation of the government
the arrangements for the ceremonies
Immediately attendant upon the inaug-
uratiOn OF president have been under
the direction OF the senate of the United
States.
THE CONTINUITY OF AUTHORITY.
In the wise adjustment of all the
parts and powers of the constitution
some provision was necessary to estab-
lish all unbroken continuity of author
ity, so that an interregnum might be
practically impossible. The senate
holds that relation to the other branches
of the government. The senate never
dies. Did its powers not lap over into
the changing conditions of the execu-
tive and the house of representatives
the government would technically cease
to exist every four years. The senate
is the connecting link in the chain of
succession from one administration and
from one congress to another.
AT the end of the legislative day, Of
March 8, 1889, which will occur at mer-
authority of Grover Cleveland to eXer-
else the Office of president, and the Fif-
tieth congress will cease. The senate
alone will bridge the chasm of time be-
tween the past and the present in the
powers of government. Anticipating
situation Superinduced by the prOvis-
ions of the constitution, the senate, fol-
lowing the precedents of former state
transactions of a similar character, has
taken the incipient steps by the ap-
pointment by the president of the sem
ate of the committee of three senators
to have charge of these purely constitu-
ti0nal and statuary forms. This COM
mittee, consisting of Senators Hoar, of
Massachusetts,; Cullom, of Illinois, and
Cockrell, of Missouri, are now devising
plans according to usage for the con-
summation of the will of the people in
the investiture of Benjamin Harrison,
of Indiana, with the supreme powers of
chief executive of the government.
A HUNDRED YEARS OF PRECEDENTS.
The practice of the senate for hun
dred years has established the mode of
installation of the vice president of the
United States, who is its president and
chief officer of the legislative depart
ment. Few people in this land of popu-
lar intelligence and direct RESPONSE
2bility and interest in the methods of
governmental administration, fully un-
derStand the constitutional and Statu-
tory formalities which attend the
change Of administrations. The first
act in accordance with the custom
of resolution about three weeks
before the day of the ceremony
of Inauguration of the president-elect,
authorizing the president of the senate
to appoint committee OF three to make
the necessary arrangements. This duty
has been performed by the senate ever
since the Inauguration of the first pres
ident. The programme having been
arranged, report is made to the SEN
ate, and, having been adopted, is car
ried out at the proper time by the COM
mittee of arrangements, represented by
the sergeant-at-arms of that body. The
ceremonies of Inauguration begin with
the organization of the senate by the
installation of its own president in the
following order: On the legislative day
of March 3, at about 10 a. m. of the
calendar day of March 4, the senate and
Inv nf nt
name the usual joint committee of noti-
fication of the president of the readi-
ness of the two houses of congress to
adjourn. The joint committee having
communicated with President Cleve-
land and having conveyed his answer to
their respective houses that he has no
further communications to make, it now
being but few minutes before meri-
dian, the committee of arrangements
will wait upon Vice President Morton,
who will be in attendance at the vice
presidents office at the capitol.
THE VICE PRESIDENT.
Having received their notification
that the senate is in readiness to receive
him attended by the committee. the vice
preSident-eiect will enter the senate
chamber by the main door. His pres
ence having been announced by the
dOorkeeper, the senators will rise. The
president pro tempOre, ingalls,, standing
will say: Senators, the chair has the
pleasure to announce that the vice pres
ident of the United States-elect is i'm the
senate chamber, and, if agreeable to
him, the chair will administer to him
the oath Office.
The vice president-elect having ad-
vaneed to the foot of the presidents
dais, there takes and subscribes to the
oath prescribed by law, after which
solemn transaction he is conducted to a
seat at the right of the president of the
senate. That retiring officer, rising,
pronounces his validectory. at the con-
clusion of which, the great clock of the
senate pointing at the moment of meri-
dian, he declares the senate adjourned
without day.
ALL IN AN INSTANT OF TIME,
Although but an instant of time has
elapsed, Grover Cleveland will have
ceased to be president, and the entire
personnel of the house of representa-
tives will have officially ceased to exist.
The government of the United States
for the time being will be the senate.
The new president of the senate. the in
slant his predecessorre retlres from his seat
takes the chair. The retiring president
delivers to him the ivory gavel, which
is the simple insignia of the authority of
the body over which he presides. The
senate of the new congress is