Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-13

been observation-disclosures when blur John
Adams packed his gripsack and slipped
out at the white house at daylight Oh
the 4th of March to avoid shaking hands
with his hated federalist successor, inc
illustrlous Jefferson, and once WITHIN
living memory when General Grant be
cause OF his strained relations with An.
drew Johnson, drove in his buggy from
the old war department 10 the capitol,
accompanied only by General John a..
Rawlins, his chief of staff-wcre on THIS
occasion exercised to the full extent.
Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Mckinley rode
side by side to and from the capitol
They had dined together at the white
house the day before. and they lunched
I'm each others company on the day IN
which they transferred the government
of this great nation, the one to the other
An additional act Of cordially was IN
fused into the proceedings by the SINH
larity between the views entertained by
the retiring president and his abine on
the financial questions and those upon
which the successful candidate Of the
republican party was elected. Mr..
Cleveland In truth felt more gratiica-
ton probably In Installing at the capl-
tol as his successor the leader Of an OPP
posing political party than he would
have In escorting under like circum-
stances the leader chosen by his own pO-
litical associates as their candidate for
the presidency. This innovation on the
usually closely drawn partisan lines OF
American politics gave added p%lquancy
TO the proceedings. Repeated, but un-
successful, efforts have been made OF
late years to change by legislation the
date OF inaugural ceremonies to a later
period of the season, 80 as to avoid the
uncertainties n frequent inclemen-
cles OF climate which prevail in Wash.
ington in the early part of March. In
1859, when President Grant was induct-
ed nto office for the first time. the
weather was so bitterly cold that the
soldiers froze at their posts, and many
of the participants in the proceedings
subsequently died from the direct ef-
fects of the exposure 70 which they were
subjected. Garfields Inauguration day
was ushered in by an early morning
snowstorm. which. however, melted rap
idly in the subsequent sunshine. Ben
tamin Harrison rode to the white house
in a cold and drizzling rain. worse to en-
dure tina snow. and delivered his adj
dress bareheaded In the open air at the
peril of his life to an audience hidden
under q forest OF umbrellas.
For eighty years. ever since 1917, when
James Monroe. the eighth president of
the United States. initiated the prac.
tice, it has been the almost unbroken
custom OF the chief justice OF the United
States TO administer the oath Of office
TO the president-elect In the open air,
those participating I'm this standing on
a platform erected in front of the east
ern portico Of the capitol, This rule has
occasionally been devlated from when
a president was reelected to succeed
himself, or when a vice president has
succeeded to the office through the
death of the president. There was one
other notable exception In the case Of
President HAYES. His Inauguration
day falling upon Sunday. and there
being still unsettled questions as TO the
validity, he, out Of the abundant pre-
caution took the oath OF office In the
white house on the day before he deliv-
cred his inaugural address. These es-
tablished al fresco features Of proceed
ings necessarily caused those entrusted
with the arrangement OF today's cere.
monies to look forward with some anx-
iety to the weather conditions, Severe
blizzards In the extreme west in the lat
ter part of the month Of February had
made their effects felt TO some extent ia
the national capitol and has caused
alarm for Inauguration day. But, after
a slight now furry on Friday last and
a freezing spell for several days follow
ing, the weather, contemporaneously
with Major McKlnley's arrival in WASH
ington. took on the p~leasantest of spring
aspects. the thermometer ranging be-