The record-union., 1897-03-06
CLEVELAND'S CABINET.
WHY THEY DID NOT ATTEND THE
INAUGURAL CERE1ONIES.
Due to Slight Oversigbts of the Per.
sons Charged With Preparing
the Programme.

WASHINGTON, March 5.-The fall
ure of President Cleveland's Cabinet to
attend the inaugural ceremonies held
in front of the Capitol yesterday, ana
the absence of Secretary Olney from
the whole proceedings, was due to
some oversights of persons charged
with the preparation of the inaugura-
ton programme, with which neither
the old nor the new Adr~i~iStration Is
chargeable.
There is no established precedent for
the attendance of the Cabinet of the
retiring President at the induction of
his successor. When it was noticed by
the Cabinet members that no place had
been set down for them in the official
programme and in the line of escort to
the Capitol, they had no feeling in the
subject and were prepared to accept
the plan gracefully. However, it was
deemed best to call attention to the
Senate to this matter, and this was
done, but a further lapse occurred
somewhere, and provision was not
made for them. Before the escorts
started for the Capitol the omission
was discovered by General Porter and
President Mckinley himself, and the
Cabinet was placed in proper position
in the line as Mr.. McKinley's personal
guests, all save Secretary Olney, who
could not be reached in time with the
news of the arrangements.
The idea that Olney absented himself
! from the White House because of
rupture of the rela tions between him
self and President Cleveland is secuted
by the friends of both. 1t is probably
! true that there had been difference of
opinion between the President and
| Secretary Olney as to the transmission
of the correspondence in the Ruiz case
! to Congress, but there was nothing ap
preaching a rupture of the friendly re-
/ laticns, and the President and his Sec
retary parted on good terms.
/ There was another hitch in the pro-
| ceedings at the Capitol which unfortu-
nately added to the impression that the
! Cabinet had been sighted. This was at
| the time when the assemblage in the
! Senate chamber was about TO repair to
/ the inaugural platform outside. There
! were no seats prepared for the Cabi-
/ net, so upon leaving the chamber the
| members, who had already arranged to
j take luncheon with Secretary Lamont
went directly to his residence on La
| fayette Square. instead of going out on
| the platform.
| The following letter explains how
! Liliuokalani obtained access to the
I Senate during tie proceedings:
United States Committee on For
/ eign Relations. February %. 1897. Hon
/ Richard Olney Secretary of State-Sir:
/ Ex-Queen Liliuokalani is desirous of
witnessing the Inauguration of the
! President and Vice President on the
/ 4th of March and she has made appli-
cation through her friends for seats
one for herself and one for her escort
/ 1t is impossible for the Committee of
Arrangements to provide these places
except in the diplomatic gallery. but
! as the tickets to that gallery are to
/ be sent to you for distribution, the
/ committee does not feel at liberty TO as
sign seats in the gallery to anyone
1t is expected. however. as the Chair
man of the Committee on Arrange
ments. that you provide the seats for
the ex-Queen out of the sixty to be
sent to you for the use of the diploma
tic corps. Yours respectfully,
JOHN SHERMAN,
Chairman Committee on Arrange
ments."