Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-08
The Inaugural Ball.

There may be a disposition here and there
to regard the decision, or at least the necs-
sity which led to the decision, to hold the
inaugural ball on Saturday night, March
4, as a serious misfortune, perhaps mill
tating against the chance of making 1t the
complete and brilliant success it has been
in the past. There is really no occasion
for apprehension on this score. There Is
nothing to warrant the belief that the ball,
as part of the inauguration ceremonial,
will be less of an artistic or financial sue
cess because it is held on Saturday night,
with the limitation necessarily imposed by
the succession of Sunday.
This affair is in fact hardly to be re-
garded as a BALI in the generally ac-
cepted sense. 1t is rather a great recep-
ton, at which the people are given an OPP
portunity to see the newly-made President
and his personal and official families. the
dignitaries of all ranks composing the gov
eminent of the United States and the rep
resentatives of foreign powers here sta
toned. To render the occasion enjoyable
and memorable care is always taken to
provide decorations and music on an elab
crate scale, while provision is also made
for the refreshment of those who attend
There is always an arrangement for dane
| ing, to accommodate and please those who
| delight in that paStime. But so great is the
throng in these years and so limited the
space that the dancing feature has gen.
orally been regarded as negligible feature.
existing nominally on the program, but not
a source Of real pleasure to any material
fraction of the crowd Four years ago
there was such provision for dancers that
a few could in fact respond to the music
in this fashion with comparative comfort
and safety. But even then the dancing fea-
ture was not felt to be the chief or the most
significant item of the occasion.
The great majority Of those who attend
the inaugural ball go to see the spectacle,
personal and artistic. there afforded as no
where else and at no other time. That
spectacle is over. so far the gratifying
of the primary wishes of the crowd is con-
cerned. by midnight, when the presidential
party has withdra wn The fact that merely
the dance music and the dancing must
cease at midnight will not, it is believed.
prevent the attendance of one person at the
ball-reception who would otherwise have
been present. The inaugural reception is
not necessarily brought to close any
earlier than in other years.
There was no other decision reason
ably possible than to select Saturday night.
The ball cannot be held the night of
March 3, because there is then no new
President, no Vice President. Large num-
bers of members of Congress are engaged
throughout that last night of the session in
the hardest OF the work of the year. Hun
dreds of people who otherwise would attend
and enjoy the occasion are rushing to conn
plete the preparations for the really sig
nificant ceremonies of the 4th. On this oc-
casion, ii is true, the newly-inducted Presi-
dent is the same individual as the retiring,
and Mr.. Roosevelt will be as much the
President on the night of March as on the
night of March A. but he would not attend
the ball in the same significant capacity or
be surrounded by the same brilliant COM
pany of notables. To hold the ball on the
night of March Is even less possible. The
city would be in large part emptied of the
crowds assembled to see the Inauguration.
The function would be, In short just two
DAYS late and would lose the real sig
nificance which has attached to it since the
beginning of the custom.
1t will be found that the ball-reception
held on Saturday night will be as satisfac-
it were held on any other night of the
week And this situation may in whole
some manner emphasize the fact that the
affair is still called bali chiefly out of
respect for a tradition, which has material
IN lost It's force that there must be dancing
whenever large. numbers of people assemble,
in order to make the occasion go