The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-06
SWORN IN.
Members of the Cabinet Take
the Oath of Office.
The New Administration Is Now
Ready For Business.
SHERMAN CAME FIRST
May Not Assume Their Duties
Till Monday.
Mr.. Gage Did Not Qualify With
the Others.

Washington. March 6.-An the mem
bers of the cabinet with the exception
of Mr.. Gage took the oath of office at
the White House at IL o'clock today.
1t was a simple but impressive cere-
nony. All of the members of the new
cabinet except Mr.. Gage had assembled
for the ceremony in the presidents Of
flee, where, after a brief exchange,
President Mckinley and Mr.. Sherman
led the way downstairs to the blue
room. looking southwark toward the
Potomac river. Here Chief Justice
Fuller and the justices of the supreme
court We're assembled. The president
and his advisers greeted the justices
and the formalties of administering the
oathS were begun at once.
Mr.. Sherman was first, the chief JUS
tfce administering the oath while the
venerable statesman held up his right
hand and repeated the constitutional
obligation Then followed the other
cabinet officers in the order of their
rank. Justice Gray of Massachusetts
administered the oath to John d. Long,
secretary of the navy and also a citi
zen of the Old Bay state. For this
same reason of locality Justice Brown,
formerly of Michigan, administered the
oath to General Alger as secretary of
war
All the other oaths were administered
by the chief justice The new cabinet
did not return upstairs, but separated
d
meeting. 1t was generally understood
that the new cabinet officers would
take charge of their several depart
Inents today, or Monday. An official
of the state department came over
about noon to say that affairs were in
readiness for the incoming of Mr.. Sher-
man today if he so desired
Mr.. Lyman J. Gage took the oath in
the secretary's Office in the treasury
department at noon. Chief Justice Full
Ter of the supreme court. another Chi
cagOan, administered the oath in the
presence of a distinguished COMPANY
which included the relatives and friends
of Mr.. Gage, part of the Illinois delega-
tion in congress and the principal off,
Gals of the treasury. The secretary'S
room was opened at IL O'Clock to the
guests who had been invited to wit
ness the ceremony. They were re-
ceived by Secretary Carlisle and Mr..
Gage and Private. Secretaries Van Sen
den and Van Derclip. Many ladies
were in the party and it had the sem
blance of a social gathering during the
time of waiting for the chief justice.
Chief Justice Fuller came in a few min
uteS before IL o'clock accompanied by
Mr.. McHenny, the clerk of the su-
preme court.
McKINLEY'S CALLERS.
The executive mansion today was a
center of attraction for great crowds
of visitors and for many prominent
public men. President Mckinley was
at his desk at o'clock clearing away
the more pressing matters before the
public made demands upon his time.
First TO receive attention was the sub
ject of the cabinet. The nominations
having been confirmed by the senate,
it remained only to make out the COM
missions, administer the Oaths and in
stall the members of the cabinet in
their several departments.
The commissions were signed by the
president early in the day and efforts
were made to have all of the new cab
met assembled in the presidents Office
at 1870 to be sworn in by the chief JUS
tic eOf the United States. In the mean
time many senators, representative and
officials called. Mr.. Wilson, the new
secretary of agriculture was among the
early callers. Then came a steady line
of prominent public men, including
Senator Proctor of Vermont, Senator
Quay of Pennsylvania, Senator Mills
of Texas, Senators Davis and Nelson
of Minnesota, Senator SpOoner and eX-
Senator Sawyer of Wisconsin. eX-Sen-
atOr Brown of Utah. Representatives
Hopkins, Reeves and Murphy of Illi-
nois, Representative Lacey of Iowa,
Representatives c. w. Stone and Sey-
burn of Pennsylvania, Representative
Walker of Massachusetts,, Representa-
tive DolIiver of Iowa, Representative
Grosvenor of Ohio, Senators Allison and
Gear of Iowa.
The senators and members of the
house were ushered into Secretary Por-
ter's Office as fast as circumstances
would permit. The calls were mainly
those of courtesy, although several of
the congressional party were accOmpa-
MED by applicants for office.
General sAlger, Cornelius N. Bliss and
Mr.. Gary, members of the new cabinet
arrived at 1915 and went directly to
the presidents apartments. While this
was proceeding within the private of
flee the general crowd in front of the
mansion was filing the marble portico
and adjacent walks, making the build
Ing difficult of egress or ingress.
The Fifteenth Ward Republican club
of Philadelphia, in silk hats and drab
coats, arrived about 10 o'clock and were
received by the president in the east
room