The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-07

Washington, March 6.-All the mem
bers of the new Cabinet, except Mr..
Gage. met in the Cabinet room adjoining
the Presidents office at half ,ast ten
this morning, when according to arrange.
ments the chief justice was expected to
administer the oath of Office. Mr.. Gage
had not understood this programme,
nor apparently had Chief Justice Fuller.
who had made an appointment to swear
in the new Secretary of the Treasury in
the Treasury Department at 11:15, and
Mr.. Gage had issued IL number of invita-.
tions to Illinoisans to witness the cere.
mony. The entire supreme court also
had IN engagement TO call on the Prcsi.
dent III - body ut II o'clock to pty their
respects, and this WAS the only part OF
the days programme that occurred strict
~ on schedule time.
The confusion ut the White House was
extraordinary, mostly due 10 the crowds
or persons who had in some way secured
cards of Introduction, and to the numer
Gus congressman who appeared with con.
stituents who wished to see all the apart
ments and who in many instances succeed
ed.
Secretary Polter's Office was over.rln
with Senators and representatives, but
he denied himself to them and remained
with the President in the Cabinet room
While the meeting of the President and
his advisors was continuing, and every
effort being made to reach Chief Justice
Fuller To administer the oath, the su.
premc court was suddenly announced II
few moments before II o'clock, and the
President hurried down stairs into the
Blue parlor to greet them. After the
usual formaltes Of this reception. when
the rhinf iIIetirn Inn -, ~.
had been waiting for him. he suggested
for convenience that the ceremony might
as we'll he performed ut once i'm the pres
ence of the court, and this was promptly
acted upon.
The oath was administered to the Sec.
rotary of State at 10. and to the others
in rapid succession in the following or.
der: General Alger, Judge McKenna,
Ex-Governor Long, Mr.. Bliss, NJ. Gary
and MIR. Wilson
The ceremony was IN the nature of II
private affair, hut for all that, the limit
ed number that witnessed it. the dainty
Blue room was pretty well filled Presi.
dent Mckinley WAS seemingly the most
interested spectator. With him were Mr..
Porter, his secretary, and Lieutenant Gil
more, of the regular amy, who had been
assigned. TO duty rs temporary aide to tie
PRESIDENT. i. {. Bnncroft Davis. the ven
lahie reporter OF the supreme court, and
Mr.. Foust, the crier, were also present.
When the President and the members
of the Cabinet had assented to the sup.
gestion of Chef.Justicc Fuller that the
oath OF Office be administered at once to
Major Mckinley's official family, it was
ascertained that none of the digniiied
Judges hnd brought n Bible. Then IL
search was made for one around the
An
duced the required volume u battered
copy used in settli-g disputes on script;,.
raj phraseology between two argumen-
tative employees of the White House
force. The distinguished party mean.
while had proceeded from the Cabinet
room through the private part of the
mansion to the rear or private stairway,
down which they walked slowly and with
dignity. The Gro nd in the lobby, the
Office corridor and on the public stairway
were thus avoided, and few of the throng
That had been fortunate enough to OBJ
tam admission knew of what was going
on behind the big prosaic doors, that
President Arthur had caused to he erect
ea between an interested public and peo-
pie who, behind that official position,
did not involve total surrender of mi.
vacy.
Justice Brown Is Il Michigan man,
resident of Detroit, and it was ut the re-
quest OF General Alger. his fellow towns
man. thai he swore in the new Secretary
of War. The chief justice and Justice
Gray administered the oath to the other
members present. At the conclusion of
the ceremony the members of the Sill
preme court filed out of the Blue room
TO the public lobby, the tall and distin-
guished Justice Harlan leading the way,
with the venerable Justice Field leaning
on ms arm. The President and his new
ADVISORS went upstairs to the Cabinet
room to get their overcoats and hats.
and then proceeded to their respective de.
partments to meet the officials and en-.
ployes of each.
Chief Justice Fuller and his fellow
Jurists went over to the Treasury De.
partment and met Secretary Carlisle and
Lyman j. Gage in the office of the Score
tary. There the oath was administered
to..Mr Gage before Il large number of
officials and clerks. Nearly everybody
in the department had n chance to shake
the new Secretary's hand when the cere-
mony was over and Mr.. Gage did not get
II rest until noon.
a brief informal meeting OF the new
Cabinet was held in the Cabinet room
Just prior to the swearing in. Nothing
important was said or done. The door
of the Caainct room was left open while
the President and his advisors talked.
and many OF those waiting in the CORR.
tor that serves as Il waiting room were
Interested spectators of the scene Presi.
lent Mckinley walked around the Cabi-
net table chatting with each member.
The first delegation that the President
saw after the Cabinet installation con.
sisted of Adiutant General Howe and
most of those who had been on McKinley's