The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-02-26
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Inauguration Preparations Are
Practically Completed.
White Squa Iron May Be One of the Fea-
tures-InauguratiOn Bible Civil Service.
Congress Of Mothers.
From Our Corresp )ndent.

! SOnSTeSS ii
From Our Corresp ondent.
Plans for the Inauguration are rapidly
reaching an acute stage of development,
and before another week shall have
passed William Mckinley of Ohio will
have been duly installed as President of
the United States. The city takes on a
/ gay and festive appearance already, am
it hardly seems possible that even on the
day itself can more grandeur prevail in
Washington than now. The thousands
of patriotic Americans who will assem-
BILE here will, however, prove finishing
touch for the imposing ceremony.
Every day one notices the growth of
the thousand and one perfected details,
The executive committee have labored
necessarily to make the affair a success,
and the only thing which can in the least
prevent such termination of it's indie
fatigableness is inclement weather Per-
fecting plans for Inauguration day have
got now to be a matter of mere machin-
cry, and everything goes along with that
dispatch and air of satisfactory outcome
as generally is the case with much
smaller and less important exercises In
the little country towns of New England.
A man in Washington these days al
most feels like congr&sulating himself
on the fact that he is an American citi-
zen. The patriotism which he breathes
during Inauguration and preparations
for it fairly make him pulsate from the
top of his head to the sole of his foot
over the fact that in America he finds the
nation of nations.
The latest plan for the more grand
conduct of the Inauguration this veal
is the attempt to have the White Squad
ron which has recently performed re-
markable naval evolutions at Charles
ton, under the command of Admiral
Bunce, stationed in the historic Potomac
and at the Washington navy yard dur
ing Inauguration week, in order that the
hundreds of thousands of American citi-
zens who will gather here during that
time may have the opportunity of see
ing what a grand navy Uncle Sam has
built up within the last few years. Many
of the people who will come here to see
Mr.. Mckinley indicted into office live
in the interior of the United States, and
seldom see what might be termed first
class battleship, and so it seems to be
eminently fitting that naval demon
stration should also be made Inaugural
ton week, and it is not unlikely that
such a course will be pursued.
/ asked Secretary Herbert in relation
to this matter the other day. He was
just leaving for Charleston to attend
the naval celebration there, and so did
not have the extended interview with
him which l had hope3 for. 1 learned
enough, however to convince me that
he is heartily in favor of the plan, and
that if it is feasible for him to accord in
the desire. as expressed by the chairman
Of the executive committee, the entire
White Squadron will be summoned to
appear, with all its impressiveness, in
Washington during Inauguration week
The secretary of war has ordered the
band of the Twenty-first infantry, at
Plattsburg barracks, New York, to ac-
company the four troops of the Third
cavalry at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont.
to Washington, on the occasion of the l
Inauguration of the president-elect |
This action insures the presence of four |
regimental bands in the regular army
division of the procession. The secre- |
tary of war has also ordered that the |
battalion of engineers proceed to Wash |
ington I'm season to participate in the in |
augural ceremonies.
As the White Squadron will represent |
the navy during Inauguration, so will |
the following companies represent the /
military wing of the government: