The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-19
AN AMAZING FEsr1v1rY.
President MckinIey's Inauguration
as Viewed by French journal.

as Viewed by a French Journal.
The Figaro, of Paris, two days after
President McK1nley's Inauguration,
presented to it's readers a vivacious ac-
count of the ceremonies of the day,
drawn from a Partisan Imagination,
which conveys some striking and en-
tertaining facts that have undoubtedly
escaped the closest attention of Ameri-
cans, even those who were present,
says the New York Tribune. Nothing
is more curious than this ceremony, OBJ
serves the French journal, to which an
altogether Individual character is lent
by the temperament Of the American
people. The hero of the day, Mr. Nc
Kinley, has been for a week installed
with his family modestly in little
villa, far from the noise and the crowd.
Surrounded by his family, he has
stayed till midnight of March in his
office, and his secretaries, who have
been warding off off1ce-seekers in the
next room, declare that they heard
champagne e.corks popping above the
joyous bursts of laughter that kept up
all the evening!
On Thursday, when noon struck, the
president-elect, without uniform or
pomp of any kind, clad in an overcoat
and high hat, went on foot to the
capitol to take the oath and to come
into contact with the people. There is
nothing more primitive or more
grandiose than this procession, which
characterizes the American democracy
in such an impressive way The only
official element in it is a detachment
of soldiers and marines, who march at
it's head; but surrounding, preceding
and following Mr.. Mckinley there is a
vast mass Of hum manity,- which stretches
as far as the eye can reach. The mar
shal," or chief of police, keeps it at
proper distance by sign.
When he reaches the threshold of the
palace, the president uncovers and
walks in alone Having taken the oath
and delivered his speech and reviewed
the garrison of Washington, he returns
to the White house, all the time afoot
and continually hemmed in by thou
sands Of people singing Yankee Doc
dle' or "Star-Spangled Banner" Mr..
Cleveland welcomes him and hands
him the keys of the house. Then comes
the diplomatic reception and the first
cabinet meeting.
But the yfatigues Of the day are not
yet over for the new president. He has
to be present at a public banquet OF
10000 covers, at $1.25 a head, served in
tents in the public garden, and to open
the ball, which is the last Of the festiv-
tiles. At the dinner Mrs. Mckinley does
the honors, dazzling in the charm of
her youth, wearing a gown of white
satin spangled with silver and adorned
with Venetian lace and precious stones.
The menu offers a variety Of extraor-
binary dishes-fried OYSTERS. chicken
outlets. veal in rice, chicken, lobster
and crab salad, pates de foie gras and
Roman punch. If wine Is passed, it is
certainly not with the approval of the
temperance societies, who have organ
lied demonstration the day before
against the generous wines Of Francel
The ball that makes the close Of the
festivities is an unheard-of magnifi-e
cence, and 1T certainly is no common
sight to see 10000 people dancing at
the same timesin tent in the public
garden. 0,ao -
For the future the new president
does not belong to himself, but is the
prey Of journalists and reporters. AL
ready they have published the list of
things contained in his baggage and
that Of Mrs. Neutrality-suspicious., linen,
jewelry, silverware, toilet articles
everything has been counted, labeled
and delivered over to the curiosity Of
the public One transatlantic journal
has even published a picture of the
sheep whose wool furnished the cloth
from. which the presidential overcoat
was made