Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1889-03-09

| oath of office in the presence of the people.
But there is so manifest an appropriateness
| in the public induction to office OF the chief
executive officer of the nation that from the
/ beginning of the government of the people,
to whose service the official oath consecrates
the officer, have been called to witness the
| solemn ceremonial The oath taken in the
presence Of the people becomes a mutual
| covenant, the officer covenants to serve the
whole body of the people by a faithful execu-
! ton of the laws, so that they may be the I'M
failing defense and security of those who re-
! spect and serve them, and that neither
/ wealth. station nor the power Of comhina-
! tions shall be able to evade their just penal
! ties or to wrest them from beneficient pub
lie purpose to serve the ends of cruelty or
/ sefishness.
My promise is spoken; yours unspoken--
| but not the less real and solemn The people
| of every state have here their representa-
| tives. Surely / do not misinterpret the
| spirit of the occasion when assume that the
| whole body of the people covenant with me
and with each other to-day to support and
| defend the constitution and the union Of
states, to yield willing obedience to all the
laws and each to every other citizen his
| equal, civil and political rights Entering
thus solemnly into covenant with each other,
we may reverently invoke and confidently
expect the favor and help of Almighty God,
that he will give to me wisdom, strength and
fidelity, and to our people spirit of fratern-
ity and love of Righteousness and peace.n
He called attention to the great extent of
| territory Of the United States, and the ne
cessity of being protected from foreign COM
| petition in our products, and strongly reiter-
ates his views on protection which he out
| lined in his letter of acceptance.
| He then urges the necessity of amending
our naturalization and immigration laws SO
as to admit only those who will not be bur
den upon our people.
! In his foreign policy he says that tive
should neither fail to respect the flag of any
| friendly nation or the just rights OF its citi-
zens, nor to exact the like treatment of our
own. Calnness, justice and consideration
should characterize our diplomacy
The president then refers to the burden
some duty of filling the public Offices not
otherwise provided for, and urges the high
sense of duty which should prompt those
who offer advice ON this subject, and says
that party service will in no case be allowed
to shield official negligence, incompetency or
delinquency The civil service law, he says,
must be enforced.
He then calls attention to the surplus in
the treasury, and says that the duty of con-
gress is to take steps to make a proper re-
duction of the revenue without breaking
down our protective tariff or seriously in
5ering any domestic industry.
The president then urges still more rapid
progress in constructing navy and sea
coast defense
After advising revision of our pension
laws, to give more adequate and discrimi-
mating relief to the Union soldier, he ex-
presses qualification on the admission of four
new states into the Union
In conclusion he said:
81 do not mistrust the future. Dangers
have been In frequent ambush along our
path, but we have uncovered and van
pushed them ALL Passion has swept some
of our communities, but only to give us a
new demonstration that the great body of
our people are stable, patriotic and law
abiding No political party can long pursue
advantage at the expense of public honor, or
by rude and indecent methods, without pro-
test and fatal disaffection in its own body
The peaceful agencies of commerce are more
fully revealing the necessary unity Of all our
communities, and the increasing intercourse
of our people is promoting mutual respect.
"We shall find unalloyed pleasure in the
revelation which our next census will make
of the swift development of the great re-
sources of some of the states Each state
will bring its generous contribution to the
great aggregate of the nations increase, and
when the harvests of the fields, the cattle
from the hills, and the ores of the earth shall
have been weighed, counted and valued,
we will turn from them all to crown with
the highest honor the state that has most
promoted education, virtue, justice and pa
triotism among its people,
President Harrison's delivery was strong
and clear, but it was an impossibility to hear
him at twenty feet distance. The crowd
stood patiently, however, with faces turned
to the driving storm, watching and trying
| to hear.
When the address was nearly over the
eldest of Mr.. Morton's daughters tainted.
| She was revived and taken out of the crowd
in the arms of her father and Gen. George
B. Williams, Mrs. Morton following. Mrs
Harrison waited for the conclusion of the
address. When 1t was over, the president
turned and kissed Mrs. Harrison.
The president was then escorted into the
capitol. He walked to the basement door
where he had entered the building and where
his carriage was waiting for him. He and
the ex-prssident with two members of the
committee of arrangements took seats In the
carriage and were driven out to join the pro-
cession.
The scenes along the line of march from the
capitol to the executive session, and at the
reviewing stand beggars description. A
surging mass of humanity covered the side
walks on either side of the streets. Every
window in every hotel, store and residence
on both sides Of the wide thoroughfare was
crowded with people, and on the scores of
stands erected at street corners and little
| parks along the route, thousands Of people
stood sheltering themselves, seemingly by
acres of umbrellas from the peltering rain,
and cheering themselves hoarse as the presi-
Dental party and particularly brilliantly
comparisoned horsemen or splendidly uni
formed military and civic organizations
passed by The march from the capitol to
the White House was one continual ovation
to the new president, and it is safe to say
that quarter OF million people watched
and waited and cheered him as he passed
along.