The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-09-18
ROOSEVELT TAKES THE OATH.
CABINET REMAINS.
VIII Continue. Absolutely Wthou, Variance
the Pollcy Of President Mckinley Tor
tho Honor OF The Country.


Saturday elevated to the chief magis-
tracy of the American republic by the
death OF President Mckinley. entered
Buffalo, the city Of mourning. Saur.
day afternoon after n remarkable ANA
pcrilous iuoruey from ;hc heart Cf the
north woods. lie had b'Sn President
under the constitution and law ~ ,ic
land since the minute the martyrcd
President ceased to live. MI the du
ties and powers of the office had de-
volved upon him, hut he was as pow
erless as the humblest citizen to eX-
ercise one of them until he had COM
piled with the constitutional provision
requiring him to take prescribed
oath to support and defend the con
stiutlon and laws of the United
States. He took that oath at 1880
o'clock Saturday afternoon in the IL
brary of the residence of Anslcy VIII
cox. personal friend with whom he
stopped earlier in the week. when the
physicians thought President McKln-
ley would recover from the wound III
fiicted by the assassin.
There We're present when he swore
TO the oath:
Secretaries Root, Hitchcock, Long,
Wilson and Postmaster General Smith,
Senator Chauncey NJ. Depcw, of New
York Judge of the Court of Appeals
Haight. John y. Scathcrd, Mr.. and
Mrs. Ansley Wilcox, Miss Wilcox
George u. Sawyer, Drs. Mann. Park
and Stockton. Mr.. and Mrs Carleton
Spraguc. Mr. ana Mrs. John q. Mil
burn. Secretary to the President Loeb,
Secretary to the Deceased President
George II. COrtelyou, DR.. and Mrs.
Charles Carey. X. G. Scatherd, j. ID.
Sawyer, and William Jeffers. official
telegrapher in addition to Judge John
X. Hazel. Of the United States Dis
trlct Court, who administered the
oath.
1t was little after $3.50 when the
oath was administered. Judge Hazel
stood near the President ana the lat
er showed his almost extreme nervous
ness by plucking ut the lapel of his
long frock coat, and nervouSly tap
ping the hard wood floor with his
heel.
He stepped over once to Secretary
Root, and for about five minutes they
c0nversed earnestly. The question M
first was whether the President should
first sign an oath of office and then he
sworn in or whether he should swear
in first and sign the document after.
At precisely 3:32 o'clock Secretary
Root ceased his conversation with the
President. and. stepping back, while
an absolute hush fell on every one in
the room. said, in an almost inaudi-
BILE voice:
"Mr. Vice President. =" then his
voice broke and for fully two minutes
the tears came down his face and his
4 n,t
tnue his utteranccs. There were sym
pathetic tears from those about him,
and two great drops ran down either
cheek of the successor of William Me.
Knley. Mr.. Roots chin was on his
breast Suddenly throwing back his
head as If With an effort, he continued
in broken voice:
IL have been requested on behalf of
the Cabinet of the late President, at
least those who are present in Buffalo
all, except two-to request that for
reasons of weight affecting the affairs
of government you should proceed TO
take. the constitutional oath of Presi-
dent of the United States"
Judge Hazel had stepped to the rear
of the President, and Mr.. Roosevelt,
coming closer to Secretary Root, said
in voice that at first wavercd, bat
finally came deep and strong, while rs
IL to control his nervousness, he held
firmly to the lapel of his coat with his
right hand:
The new President was visibly sha-
ken, but he controlled himself, and
when he lifted his hand to swear Ii
was as steady as though carved in
marble. With the deep solemnlty of
dhe occasion full upon him, he an
nOunced TO those present that his aim
would be to be William McKinley's
successor in deed as well as in name.
Deliberately he proclaimed it in these
words:
In this hour of deep and terrible
national bereavement ! wish to state
that 1t shall be my aim to continue alb
sOlutely, without variance, the policy
of President Mckinley for the peace
and prosperity and honor of our be-
loved country"
There was n hush like death in the
room as the Judge read few words
Mt time, and the President, In Il
strong voice, and without tremor,,
ana with his raised hand as steady as
II carved from marble, repeated 1t af-
ter him. "And thus | swear" he end
ed It, The hand dropped by the side,
the chin for an instant rested on the
breast, and the silence remained un-
broken as though the new President
of the United States We're Offering 81
lent prayer Judge Hazel broke II,
saying: "Mr. President, please attach
your signature" and the President,
turning to small table nearby, wrote
''Theodore Roosevelt mt the bottom of
the document in n firm hand.