The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-05
INAUGURATION WEATHER.
And the ScripturaI Passages That
Presidents Have Kissed.
hington Cor. Chicago Record


occurred during the earlier history of the
republic. OF the last fifteen Inaugural
tons eleven were stormy and only four
were pleasant. An examination of the
newspaper reports from Washington to
Mckinley shows the following:
Washington-At the city of New York,
April 30. 1859. A beautiful spring day
Washington-March 4, 1898, at Philadel-
phia. No mention is made of the weather
IN the newspaper reports, but the infer
ence is that it was pleasant. as great
crowds were upon the streets enjoying
the event
John Adams-March 4, 1897 at Philadel-
phia. No reference to the weather in any
of the newspapers
Jefferson-At Washington, March 4, 1901
The sun shone brightly throughout the
day"
jefferson, March 4. 1905. Cold, rain and
snow; very disagreeable weather.
Madison-March 4, 1909 A beautiful
day.
Madison-March 4, 1913. "A perfect
spring day; the sun shone bright"
Monroe-March 1. 1917. "A radiant and
delightful day"
Monroe-March 5. 1921. "The day was
disagreeable, snow and rain having
fallen"
John Quincy Adams-March 4, 1926. THE
weather was good"
Jackson-March 4. 1899. zone of the
b9lmiest days of spring"
Jackson-March 4, 1888. No reference to
the weather.
Van Buren-March L. 1897 "a bright
ard beautiful day"
William II. Harrison March 4, 1874.
Weather cold ana cloudy; very disa-
greeable above and under foot"
Polk-March 4, 1915. wet and Disagree
able; clouds of umbrellas darkened the
streets. Snow falling while the inaugu-
raj address was delivered"
Taylor-March s. 1919 "A bright day."
Pierce-March 4, 1853 Weather very
unfavorable; heavy snowfall; raw north
west wind"
Buchanan-March 4, 1857 "A faultless
spring day"
Lncoln-March 4, 1861. "A clear. bright
day"
LincOln-March a. 1865. "Cold; cloudy
and threatening weather; heavy rains the
previous night; streets very muddy"
Grant-March 4, 1869. "A raw, dismal,
rainy day"
Grant-March 4. 1873 1.-THE coolest in
augural day ever known. Thermometer
4 degrees above zero"
Hayes-March 4, 1877. Rain"
with snow; strong northwest wind blow
ing"
Cleveland-March 4, 1885. Every favor
able day for March"
Harrison-March 4. 1889. Continuous
rain from the ID to the 9Th of March.
with snowstorms on the morning of the
Attn"
Cleveland-March 4, 1893. "Rain and
snow in early morning; streets covered
with slush; weather cleared toward
noon"
McKinley-AIarch t. 1897. Almost per-
feet weather; neither too cold nor too
warm"
For many years Senator Hoar and Sem
ator Morrill, of Vermont before him. have
been trying to secure a constitutional
amendment changing Inauguration day
from March 4 to April so, in order to be
sure of comfortable weather. but the Nc
Kinley Inauguration day in 1897 was so
pleasant that the advocates of the meas
ure lost interest.
The oath of office taken by
the President is very simple,
compared with that of the King of Eng
land. which l quoted the other day. 1t
is prescribed by the constitution as fol-
lows:
II do solemnly swear Cor affirm that
will faithfully execute the office of Presl-
dent of the United States, and to the
hest of nv ability protect. preserve and
defend the constitution of the United
States"
This oath is slowly repeated after the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court stand
ing upon platform erected on the east
front of the Capitol, from which the
President also delivers his inaugural ad-
dress. They hold between them an open
bible. especially procured for the occa-
sion. which becomes the property or the
President after it has been appropriately
inscribed and sealed by the chief clerk
Of the Supreme Court. At the close or
the oath the President bows and presses
his lips upon the open page.
1t has been customary at lnaugura'lo'ie
for the President or some friends to select
the chapter at which the book shall be
opened and the verse upon which he shall
press his lips. passages that are particu-
larlv appropriate being chosen. That Sc
lected by Mr. Mckinley to kiss when ne
took the inaugural oath in 1897 was I'M
usually appropriate. 1t read
GIVE me new wisdom and knowledge
that l may go out and come in before
this people: for who can judge this, tiny
people, that is so great.
President Mckinley not only selected
this passage from the holy scripture be-
cause of it's remarkable appropriateness
but in his inaugural address twice. at the
beginning and the end, acknowledged d.
vine sovereignty and invoked the guild
anee of omnipotent power.
The verse that Gen. Grant kissed was
equally appropriate, and is found in the
XIth chapter Of Isaiah, as follows:
"And the spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon him; the spirit of wisdom and under
standing; the spirit of counsel and might;
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of
the Lord And shall make him of quick
understanding in the fear of the Lord; auc
He shall not judge after the sight of His
eyes nor reprove after the hearing OF
His ears"
The verse that President Hayes kissed
was accidental and proved to be prophetic:
His enemies encompassed Him like
bees, but He would not destroy them"
President Arthur and President Cieve-
land did not make any selection and the
passages they kissed are unknown. Mr..
Cleveland took the oath at both inaugu-
rations upon a little red Bible, which was
given him by his mother when he was a
boy.
Wrecked on Algerian Coast.