The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-05

| '''A'fN 'iAIe SNSICISlIlS SuCH ldlIhSSS stli
and impartiallty within the rules of the
senate as shall deserve at least your
good opinion for the sincerity of my
effort
Unfamiliar with your rules and man
ner of procedure l can only promise
that l win bring all the ability pos
sess to the faithful discharge of every
duty as it devolves upon me, relying al
ways upon your suggestions your ad-
vice and your cooperation, and l
should feel unequal to the task did |
not trustfully anticipate that indulgent
aid and consideration which you have
at all times given to my predecessors,
and without which l could not hope to
acquit myself to your satisfaction or
with any degree of personal credit.
1t shall be my highest aim to justify
the confidence the people have reposed
In me by discharging my duties in such
a manner as to tighten your labors, Sc
cure your appreciation of my honest eff
fort to administer your rules with an
eye single to the public good and pro-
mcte the pleasant and efficient transact
ton of the public business.
l trust our official and personal rela-
tions may be alike agreeable; that the
| friendship We may form may be genu-
inc and lasting, and that the work of
the senate may rebound to the peace
and honor of the country and prosperi-
ty and happiness of all the people.
He then proceeded in his turn to
swear in such as We're present of the
! thirty senators whose terms either Of
election of reelection began contempt
raneous1y with that of the president.
This ceremony completed, both houses
of congress and many Of the more priv
ileged spectators adjourned to the east
ern portico.
The first feature of the ceremonial
was the administration of the oath Of
office. The Bible upon which the pres
ident took the oath of Office was radi-
cally different from any that had pre-
viously been used on similar occasions.
Heretofore the book has been of the
style known as Pocket Bibles" and
was easily held in the hand of the chief
justice in administering the oath. But
to-day the Bible was an immense af
fair. large family Bible weighing
fully twenty pounds. 1t was a magni-
| fcent specimen of the topographic and
bookbinders arts, bound in flexible
covers of black seal In one Of the lids
was inserted silver plate inscribed:
William Mckinley, president of the
! United States, inaugurated March 4,
| 1897"
Clerk McKenney of the supreme
court, whose duty it was to convey the
Bible to the stand, was ''the observed
of all observers" as he bore the huge
tome from the supreme court to the
senate chamber and thence to the plat
| form
The Bible was prepared for the bish-
ops of the African Methodist Episcopal
church. 1t was conveyed to the CAPT
toll in a handsome satin-lined oak cas-
ket, with brass trimmings, the whole
package Weighing about fifty pounds.
1t is the intention of the bishops to for
mally present the Bible to President
Mckinley.
The tumult was so great that the
ceremony was mere pantomime, the
voices of the chief justice and the pres
ident being wholly inaudible to those
within few feet of them.
| When President Mckinley arose to
read his inaugural address, there was
a great cheer, but when it subsidized the
crush and tumult of the restless, NOV
ing crowd were so great that it was
still impossible to hear word. The
| crowd surged around the stand, and
many ladies were almost crushed.
Cries of police" were the only cries
that could be recognized in the confu-
sion. Many of the crowd were COM
| ali =
the platform in order to escape serious
bodily harm.
In the midst of all the confusion
| President Mckinley read his address,
standing with barred head, while his
predecessor sat at his right, beaver tile
on head, and gave his attention not so
much to what was being said as to the
noise and tumult about him. The sit
uation was somewhat relieved by the
people on the edges of the crowd NOV
| ing away and giving more room to
| those near the speaker.
The platform from which Mr.. Nc
Kinley delivered his inaugural address
| extended along the east front Of the
capitol from the northeast end of the
senate wing to the center of the build
| ing. 1t projected outward a distance
of fifty feet and so carefully was the
space economical that it could easily
seat eighteen hundred persons. Near
| it's extreme right was a raised dais en-
closed with a railing covered with red
and blue bunting.
1t was here that Mr.. Mckinley stood
as he addressed his audience The
outer surface of the platform was hid
den under a profusion of national flags,
artistically drapped, while directly in
! front of the presidential stand was a
mammoth national shield. For a con-
siderable distance in Mr.. McKinley's
rear the open space was filled with
chairs reserved for distinguished
guests
| Here was Mark Hanna, here also was
| the new vice president, Carrot A. Ho-
| bart. To their right and Immediately
behind the president sat Chief Justice
| Fuller in his silken robes of office. In
his immediate vicinity sat a group of
men distinguished in the political and
| judicial world. To their left and wear
| ing their brilliant court uniforms sat
| the members of the diplomatic corps,
! their secretaries and attaches, and the
| women of their families, the latter
beautifully gowned.
To them the occasion was one of more
than ordinary interest. The strained