The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-09-18

room as the Judge read few words at
a time. and the President, in a strong
voice:and without tremor and With
his hand raised as steady as if carved
from marble, repeated it after him.
" And thus I swear he ended it.
The hand dropped by his side, the
chin for an instant rested on the
breast and the silence remained un-
broken for couple of minutes as
though the new President OF the Onl-
ted States was offering silent prayer.
Judge Hazel broke it, saying, Mr.
President, please attach your sigma
ture,'' and the President, turning to
small table near by, wrote, Theodore
Roosevelt at the bottom OF the docu-
ment in a firm hand.
81 should like to see the members OF
the Cabinet few moments after the
Others retire. said the President,
and this was the signal for the score
of people who had been favored by
witnessing the ceremony, to retire.
AS they turned to go the President
said 81 will shake hands with you
people gladly and with something of
his old smile returning he first shook
hands with the members Of the Cabi-
net present, then Senator Depew, and
finally with few guests and newspa-
per men.
Immediately following the dispensing
of the spectators after the taking Of
the oath the President and the Cabi
net members present held conference.
When it was finished the President
said to the representatives OF the AS
sociated Press:
/, Following out the brief statement
I made when taking the oath that 1
would follow the administrative lines
laid down by President Mckinley, 1
requested the members of the Cabinet
who were present to remain IN their
positions at least for the present. They
have assured me that they will and l
may say that 1 have assurances also
from the absent members. -
Inquiry was made OF the President
as to whether an extra session OF Con-
gress would be called by him, and he
said in substance that there was no
fundamental law requiring the calling
of Congress together upon the success
sion of a Vice President to the Presl-
dency, and that after consultation
with the Cabinet they had decided
that no such extra session would be
called. The President, after the meet
ing of the Cabinet, saw few personal
friends, and then, putting on his hat,
said to Secretary Root:
'sLet US take little walk: it will
do US both good.'' Secretary Root
assented and they walked out on the
porch. His host, MI. Ansley Wilcox
said:
"Mr. President, shan't go along
with voue'' He said: "No, I am
going to take a short walk up the
Street with Secretary Root and will
return again. When he got down
on the foot of the walk couple OF
policemen and couple of detectives
in citizens clothes started to follow
him. He turned and told his secretary
to tell them that he did not desire
anv protection. 81 do not want to
establish the precedent of going about
guarded.
The policemen and detectives touched
their hats and left, but before he had
gone a hundred yards two of them
were walking just behind him, and
two of them were following him on the
other side Of the street. The two dis
tinguished men attracted but little
attention until they got near the police
lines on Deleware avenue, when the
President stopped to shake hands and
say goodbye to Secretary Root, when
the crowd recognized him and sur
rounded. him. The police drove the
crowd back and the President, accom-
panied by Col. Bingham. who Joined
him, and watched also by his former
military secretary. George Curtis
Treadwell, walked briskly back to the
Wilcox mansion.
He announced later tnat be would
not leave the city until Monday morn
ing. when the funeral train IS TO leave.
The President passed the evening
rather quietly at Mr. Wilcox.s home,
dining quite late Governor B. B.
O'Dell, of New York: Congressman
Lucius Littauer, of New York, and
William Warden, of Buffalo, called
during the evening as did Col. Russell
Harrison. The President while affable
showed some signs of the long journey
and the days strain. President Roose-
velt said that he would issue pro-
clamation and that he would put it in
the hands of Secretary Cortelyou to
prepare, as to form, after preparing
the substance. The President was be-
sieged with messages of congratula-
tions tonight, in fact so many came
that no attempt was made to open the
large majority Of them.
THE PRESIDENTS PROCLAMA-