The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-05

to this that I know was in the entertain
ment OF the Grand Army of the Repu bic
here last fall, when Congress made an APP
preparation out of the district funds to-
wards the entertainment expenses.
The secretary of the Senate has very lit
tie to do with the inauguration of presi-
dent beyond paying the bills. The active
officer in making preparations for The
ceremony and IN carrying them out is the
sergeant-at-a He prepares the plans,
makes contracts, issues the invitations,
arranges the seats on the floor of the
Senate and on the inauguration platform,
employs a special force of policemen to
preserve order and acts as the president S
advance guard on the march to the inau-
gural platform. Four years ago Mr..
Canaday, who was then sergeant alarms
of the Senate, held an umbrella over the
head of President Harrison while he read
his inaugural address. MIR. Canaday had
& pretty stiff arm when the address was
concluded.
The Senate has charge of the Inaugural
ton of a president, because when he is
inaugurated there is no House of Repre-
.sentatives. The Senate is a continuing
body 1t never goes out OF existence.
About one-third of the senators 90 out of
Office or succeed themselves on the 4th
of March every other year, but another
third has two years still to serve, and the
remaining members have four years OF
service before them. The president who
is about 10 retire from Office always calls
the Senate meet in special session atnoon
or the 4th of March After that hour
there is no president and no House of
Representatives So the Senate very APP
propriately has charge of the arrange
lnents for the inauguration and carries
them out. The active agent in the cere-
mony of swearing in the president is the
-,r+ 49,,
There is always a great scramble Tor
seats in the galleries of the Senate and on
the inaugural platform to witness the
inauguration. Usually there are seats to
be had for a price. Four years ago | saw
men standing about the capitol and on
PENNSYLVANIA avenue hawking tickets of
admission to the galleries. They are
usually advertised for sale in the daily
newspapers of Washington for several
davs before the 4th of March. There are
mot many of these cases of misplaced con-
fidence-for the tickets are supposed to
be entirely complimentary and the Senate
would be justified in taking up any ticket
that had been bought by the man who
presented It,
The scarcity of the tickets will be read
ily understood when the proportion in
which they are distributed is known,
Each senator receives only five tickets and
each member of the House of Representa-
lives oniy two. There are very few mem
bers of the House who have not at least
two members of their families who wish
10 see the inaugural ceremony. The pres
ident receives about twenty-five tickets
and the president-elect, the vice. president
and the vice. resident-elect receive an
equal number. The members of the Su-
preme Court receive forty tickets. About
$50 are issued to the members of the Dip
lomatic corps and $50 to the press repre-
sentatives. OF course the senators and
members Of the House, as well as the JUS
tees of the Supreme Court, the members
of the diplomatic corps and 9TH
ers who are to be seated on the floor.
require no tickets. Senators-elect re-
ceive the same consideration as senators
each of them has five tickets allotted to
him: but representatives elect not only
get no tickets for their friends but have
to depend on the courtesy of others for
their own admission to the galleries.
The FneW congressman is not so great
q person at presidential Inauguration
as a plain everyday newspaper cores
pondent-
Only the members of the diplomatic
corps and the newspaper men have re-
served for them on the Inauguration, the
galleries, to which they are entitled dur
ING the ordinary sessions OF the Senate.
The diplomatic corps do not occupy their
gallery in person. They are always
seated on the floor of the Senate, arrayed
in full court costume. But there are SO