The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-06

Washington, MarCn t. lllIdIn
Kinley Of Ohio, was today installed as
president Of the United States for the
term of four years, continuing until
March 4, 1901, and GrOVer CleVeland,
for the second time, passed from the
exercise Of the high office or president
and ra-entered private life. In his ca
pacity as ex-president he has but one
living contemporary, his immediate
predecessor, benjamin Harrison. All
the others who within the last tnlrty
years, by election or succession, nave
presided over the destinies of the great
American republic-Lincoln, johnson,
Grant Hayes, Garfield and Arthur
have Joined the silent majority.
Incidental to the actual assumln or
the Office OF president, and slightly pre-
ceding 1t In point or time GarTel "a,
Hobart, of New Jersey. "a gentleman
not heretofore prominent in national
politics) took the oath Of office as vice
president Of the United States and was
installed as ex-Officio presiding O11cer
of the senate.
The proceedings of the day were
characterized by all ne imposing spec
tacylar effects and demonstrations or
popular interest which have become a
growing feature Of inaugural ceremo-
MES, as the nation has advanced IN
DopuIation and wealth. forty
and ffty thousand men formed in pro-
cesSion, partly military, partly CIVIC,
and escorted the president and pres1-
dent-elect to and from the capitol. AT
least 20. 600 people witnessed the ADMIN
istratiOn of the oath of office on the
eastern portico of the capitol and list
ened or attempted to listen, to the de-
livery of the new presidents brief IN
augural address,: and at night a gOr-
geous state ball closed the proceedings.
INTERCHANGE OF COURTESIES.
The graceful interchange Of cOurte-
sizes the outgoing and incOmln
officials, which has only twice been IN
termitted-once when bluff John Adams
packed his ~knapsack and slipped out or
the White house at daylight on the Atm
of March to avoid shaking hands with
the illustriOus Jefferson, and once with
ing Twins m when General Grant,
because of his strained personal rela-
tions with Andrew Johnson, grove IN
his buggy from the old war department
to the capitol, accompanied only by
General John A. Rawlins, his chief or
staff-were on this occasion exercised
to the full extent. Mr.. Cleveland and
Mr.. Mckinley rode side by size 10 anu
from the capitol. They had dined to-
gether at the White house the day be-
fore, and they lunched in each others
company on the day in which they
transferred the government of this
great nation, the one to the other. An
additional air of cordially was infused
into. the proceedings by the similarity
the views entertained by the
retiring president and his cabinet on
financial questions, and thoSe upon
which the successful candidate of the
republican party was elected. Mr..
Cleveland. in truth, felt more gratfica-
ton probably in installing at the CAPT.
tai SIS his successor the leader of an op-
posing political party than he would
have had in eScOrting under like CIR
cumstances the leader chosen by ms
own political associates as their candl-
date for the presidency. This innova-
ton on the usually closely drawn par
tisan lines of American politics gave
added ]piquancy to the proceedings:
Repeated, but unsuccessful, efforts
have been made of late years to change
by legislation the date of the Inaugural
ton ceremony to a later period of the
season, so as to avoid he uncertain
ties and frequent inclemencles or Gil
mate which prevail in Washington In
the early part of March. In 1869, when
President Grant was indicted into Of
fee for the first time, the weather was
so bitterly cold hat the soldiers froZe
at their posts and many OF the partlc-
ipants in the proceedings subsequently
died from the direct effects of the ex-
posture to which they were subjected.
Garfield's inauguration day was ushered
in by an early morning snow storm
which, however, melted rapidly IN the
SUBSEQUENT sunshine. Benjamin Har-
rison rode to the White house in a colo
ana OTPIlCIlIS LII u W
thar snow, and delivered his address
b~areheaded in the open air at the peri
of his life to an audience hidden under
a forest Of umbrellas.
For eighty years., ever since NV
when James Monroe, the eighth pres
ident of the United States, initiated the
practice, it has been the almost unbrok'
en- custom for the chief justice OF the
United States to administer the oatr
Of office to the pr~esidenet-elect IN tnS
open air. the high participating officials
standing on a platform erected in IRON
of the eastern pcrtico of the capitol
This rule has occasionally been deVla'
ted from when a president was re
elected to succeed himself, or when {
vice president has succeeded to the OF
flee through the death of the president
There was one other notable exception
in the case Of President Hayes. Hi:
inauguration day falling on SUNDAY
and there being still unsettled questions
as to the validity of his title, he. GU
of abundant ~precaution, took the oatl
Of office in the White house on the da,
before he delivered his inaugural ad
dress.
These established al fresco feature
of the proceedings necessarily cause'
those entrusted with the arrange
inents of toGay's ceremony to loo
forward with some anxiety to tn
weather conditions. Severe blizzard
in the extreme west in the latte
part Of February had made their ef
facts felt to some extent in the natiCna
capital and had caused alarm for in
auguration day. But after a Sigh
snow furry on Friday last, and a freez
ing spell for several days following tn
weather contemporaneously with MaJo
McKinley's arrival in Washington too
on a pleasant aspect. The rain of yes
terday was followed by a perfec
March day-cIear, cool, crisp, invigorat
ing, with bright sunshine and feec
clouds to enliyen the scene.