The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-04

where it will disband. 1t is expecae'
THAT $4,000 people will be in line.
Major Mckinley, it is expected, vii
reach Washington March l. Technical
Iy he is still private citizen and, there
FORE his conduct must be regulated b,
the rules which govern IL" men WHO make
mp the bone and sincw Of the American
public. Perhaps, al things considered
il might be more convenient for him TO g
10 the White House nj once and bcgf
10 become accustomed 10 his place of resi-
dencc for the ensuing four years. This
would not ~ 80 awkward as might b,
imagined, for the furi,itur, which Mr.
Cleveland and his family nave been TEN
porary possessors Of belongs 10 the Unit
ed States government, and, therefore, Mr.,
Mckinley and his family will fall heir "a
all that the White House contains, cX'
ccpt the personal possessions Of the out
going president. This is why Mr.. Mckin,
ley might feel AT home, but official
etiquette requires that he shall I've purely
and simply visitor 10 the White Honse
until he il vested with the right to be-
come its official resident
So the McKinlcys will go to q hotel,
the Ebbitt House, mat 0ld-timc Wash
Ington hOstclry around which are grouped
historical associations sufficient 10 make
il interesting 10 any Cnc If there is any
visiting from the Ebbtt to the executive
mansion, il will take place 50 quietly that
few persons will be cogniZant thereof.
Between | and IL o'clock on March 4,
however, Major Mckinley will proceed
alone to the White House, where he will
he formally welcomed by Mr.. Cleveland.
These two great men will chat for n mo-
mont or two, and then President Cleye-
lands carriage-nOt q government convey
Ian
at the White House entrance. The
president and his successor will enter the
carriage and be driven TO the capitol,
where the oath Of office will be admins
tered by Chief Justice Fuller. II must
not be supposed that the chief justice
must administer this oath of office cx-
,iicio, for any other person could perform
The function if it was desired. Neither is
there any Bible Of state upon which the
oath. II is said of President Cleveland
that on both occasions when he was in
auguratcd the Bible used was that be-
longing to his mother, q well worn, mod
est little volume on the fly leaf of which
were written the dates of the two events
in which it took so prominent part
Sometimes the oath is administered on
the portico of the capitol, on the east side
but that IL not n matter of necessity.
-Four years ago President Cleveland took
the oath within the sacred precincts of
the senate chamber. However that may
be, the first step taken by Mr.. Mckinley
TO carry out the final program of his ac-
ccssiOn TO the presidency, will be the taxi
ing Of the oath. Then he will walk to
the very front of the portic0 and the gap
ing thousands that gaze upon it will hear
the new head Of the nation enunciate the
principles which are to govern the con-
duct of the office to which he has been
chosen. Ii is n declaration to which
thousands Of ears are strained to hear,
which hundred wires speed to the ut
termost parts of the milton, which will
answer dozen questions that for weeks
have been eagerly asked. for more than
half the country believes that the future
of the nation will iepend upon what he
says-not n question Of existence but one
that will show whether the United States
is ready to assume, officially. and truly
among the powers Of the earth, that sep
arnte and equal station to which the
declaration Of more than a century ago
alleged 1.-THE laws Of nature and of ma
lures god entitled her"
President Mckinley will be clothed in
the traditional black the chief executive.
always wears when he makes his first
formal and official appearance. The gar
ments which will adorn him on this occa-
sion will be after the fashion known m
Prince Albert, for Mr.. Mckinley never
appears In n garment fashioned other
wise.
What IL known as the Inauguration
gown of Mrs. Mckinley is y creation that
would charm the most critical feminine
mind. The gown will not be decollettc.
On the contrary the lace frillings at the
neck will extend up above the ears of