The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-19
AN AMAZING FESTIVITY.
President Mckinley's Inauguration
as Viewed by a French Journal.

President McKinley's Inauguration
as Viewed by u French Journal.
The Figaro. Of Paris, two days after
President McKinley's Inauguration,
presented to it's readers a vivacious ac-
count OF the ceremonies of the day,
drawn from 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 week installed
with his family modestly in a little
villa, far from, the noise and the crowd.
Surrounded ,1by his family, he has
stayed till midnight Of March in his
office, and hisssecretaries, who have
been warding off office-seekers in the
next room, declare that they heard
champagne 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 a 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 1T 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 humanity, which stretches
as far as the eye can reach. The mar
shal,'' or chief of police, keeps it at
a proper distance by a 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 Doo-
ole" 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 fatigues Of the day are not
yet over for the new president. He has
to be present at 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 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 F'rancel
The ball that makes the close Of the
festivities is an unheard-of magnifi-
cence, and it Certainly is no common
sight to see 10000 people dancing at
the same timeoii1 tent in the public
garden. ohA
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 overceat
was made.