The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-26
THE INAUGURAL DAY.
Secretary Of Senate Pays Bills,
Which Are Not Large.
SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEATS.
The Dures1 q 4ngrsvinR Pxints tho
1nvftations-Tho Escort Of the
President. Elect.

The last Inauguration cost the senate OF
the United States about $780, It would
probably cost the people of England $780,
OoO to inaugurate Queen Victoria's success
sor II she took it into her head to vacate
the throne or if she should die. The actual
expenses Of the Inauguration are paid by
the secretary of the senate out of the con-
tingent fund. Of course these are not the
expenses OF the inaugural ball or of the
parade which accompanies the inaugura-
ton. While these are atterdent features
OF the ceremony. they do not belong 10 tho
inauguration itself. The procession and
ball are paid for by the business men of
the district just IS the expenses of . con-
vention are paid. by the business men of
the city In which ii is held. The only ex-
ception to this that I know was in the
entertainment of the Grand Army Of the
Republic here last fall, when congress
made an appropriation out Of the district
funds toward 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 10 the
sergeantat-arms. He prepares the plans.
makes contracts. issues the invitations,
arranges the seats on the floor of the SEN
ate and on the Inauguration platform, en-
ploys q special force of policemen to pre-
serve order and acts as the presidents
advance guard ON the march to the
inaugural platform. Four years ago Mr..
Canaday. who was then sergeant-at-arms
of the senate, held an umbrella over the
head of President Harrison while he read
his inaugural address. Mr.. Canaday had
pretty stiff arm when the address was
concluded.
The senate has charge of the inaugura-
ton of president, because when he is IN
augurated there is no house Of representa-
tives. The senate is q continuing body.
1t never goes out of existence. About one
third OF the senators go out of office or sue
coed 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 to re-
tire from office always calls the senate to
meet in special session at noon on the 4th
OF March. After that hour there is no
president and no house of representatives.
So the senate very appropriately has
charge of the arrangements for the inau.
guration and carries them out. The &C.
tive agent IN the ceremony OF swearing in
the president Is the chief justice Of the su-
preme court.
There is always . great scramble for
seats in the galleries of the senate and on
the inaugural platform to witness tho in
auguration. Usually there are seats to DO
had for price. Four years ago Isaw men
standing about the capitol and on Penn
syivania avenue hawking tickets Of admis-
s1cns tothe galleries. They ar usually adj.
vertised for sale in the daily newspapers of
Washington City for several days before
the 4th of March. There are not many of
these cases of misplaced confdence-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 readily
understood when the proportion in which
they are distributed is known. Each sen.
ator receives only five tickets and each
member Of the house Of representatives
only two. There are very few men,
bers of the house who have not at
least two members of their families who
wish to see the inaugural ceremony.
The president receives about twenty-five
tickets, and the president-elect. the vice
president and the vice president-elect re-
ceive an equal number. The members of
About 80 are issued to the members of
the diplomatic corps and 16O to the press
representatives. OF course the senators
and the members of the house, as we'll as
the justices OF the supreme court, the men,
bers of the diplomatic cOfpS and others
who are to be seated on the door, require
no tickets. SenatOrs-elect receive the same
consideration as senators-each of them
has five tickets allotted to him; but repre-.
sentatives-elect not only get no tickets for
their friends, but have to depend on the
courtesy OF others for their cwn admission
to the galleries. The new congressman"
Is not SO great . person at presidential
Inauguration as plain everyday news
paper correspondent.
Only the members of the Diplomatic
CORDS and the newspaper men have REL
served Tor 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 MANY at
taches OF the legations and distinguished
foreigners in the city that not only the
small diplomatic" gallery, opposite the
vice presidents chair. but the reserved
gallery" on the west side Of the chamber
Is reserved for them. The newspaper men
the regular corps of Washington CITY
correspondents and the special representa-
tives hom the great dallies OF the coun-
try send to Washington City for this occa-
sion-occupy the big gallery which over
hangs the chair Of the presiding officer. 1t
is the most interesting place above the
floor of the senate during the ceremonies
in the senate chamber for facing it are all
the actors in the ceremony 10 follow-the
president, the president-elect, the su-
preme court justices, the diplomatic
corps. the members Of the presidents
cabinet, the senate and the house;
and all the lesser dignitares who
are merely onlookers, like those
who sit above them. The genera! arrange
ment of the senate galleries Is entirely
changed for the Inauguration. with the
two executions named. Partitions are re-
moved from one place and temporary par
titions are erected in another. One space
to the left of the diplomatic gallery is re-
served for the family and friends OF the
president elect. Another space is reserved
for the family OF the retiring president.
There are places to which che tickets of
senators give admittance and other places
for those " no hold tickets from the MEM
bers of the house of representatives The
d fferent kinds of tickets are of differen.
colors and the most rigid system is en-.
forced in seating the ticket holders. Il is
a part of the system of the sereean,-at-
arms that no one shall pe admitted TO the
building who has not ticket admitting
HIM to one Of the galleries; so IN theory
every one is provided with seat. But
doorkeepers are only mortal and it hap
pens sometimes that man who has no
ticket passes the outer portal He - Amos.
as badly off though, within the building
as he would be without As he has no
| ticket OF admission 10 the galleries he is
-,D1 neil si To cool mis- heeiS in the cD-ridnrs