Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1905-03-09

Theodore Roosevelt was on March
transformed from president by
chance into president by choice; from
president through an assasin's bullet
into president through the ballots of
the people.
Under the shadow of the gray
domed capitol, gazing into the placid
marble features of Greenough's statue
of the first president, the twenty-sixth
president of the United States swore
faithfully to execute the laws and to
preserve, protect, and defend the con-
stitution.
There were represented in the
throngs that had journeyed to the cap
ital to greet President Roosevelt men
from the North, South, East and West,
and from distant islands of the seas !;
from the Philippines, from Porto
Rico, from Hawaii-from every land
where floats the emblem of the Re-
public. In the great parade there rode
governors of states, both North and
South. The presidents old rancher
friends, with iariat and chaparejos and
wiry bronchOs, made strange contrast
to the stiff-backed, pouter chested
young -lcl from the national military
schools. Rough Riders from San Juan
Hill, volunteers from Santiago, jackies
from Manila bay shared the plaudits
of the multitude with modest, every
day soldiers. for whom the title Reg
ular is distinction quite enough.
Political clubs from East and West,
militiamen from North and South,
blue-clad veterans of the sixties,
heroes of the Spanish-American war,
miners from Pennsylvania, the entire
legislature of the state of Tennessee,
the, presidents neighbors from Oyster
Bay-all contributed to the national
character of the splendid pageant.
There were waiting for the presi-
dent when he emerged from the white
house thirty picked men from the
Rough Riders under Gov. Brodie With
the crack squadron A of the First
Cavalry, U. S. Army. they formed his
escort to the capitol. AS they swung
around the treasury building into
Pennsylvania avenue a division of the
G. A R., with Gen. o. o. Howard and
staff in the lead, which had been
standing at salute, wheeled into the
column, while the cavalrymen checked
their pace to accommodate the slower
footsteps of the aged veterans. A
mighty wave of cheers swept along
the avenue as the presidents carriage
came in sight. Throughout the whole
route the president. with hat in hand.
kept bowling in Acknowledgement of the
greetings. On his arrival at the CAPT.
toll he was conducted to the president s
room, in the rear of the senate cham
Der, where he began at once the sign
ing of belated bills. At noon he en-
tered the abode of the senate to wit
ness the installation of Senator Fair
banks as vice president. This cere-
mony concluded, he proceeded to the
stand on the east front of the capitol
to receive the oath from Chief Justice
Fuller and to deliver his inaugural adj
dress. Immediately upon its conclu-
sion the president was escorted back
to the white house, where, after lunch
ing with the officials of the inaugural
committee. he took his position on the
stand in front to review the formal
inaugural parade.
Inauguration Ceremonies.
The broad plaza whose level surface
stretches east from the national capt.
toll can accommodate an army. For
hours Washington poured its own pop
ulation and vast increment of Wis
itors into the front yard of the seat of
government. Eight acres of humanity
spread fan-shaped from the focus
made by a little covered shelter, open
at the sides, where the president was
to stand Over toward the imposing
facade of the congressional library it
extended, literally a 'sea of faces
There may have been only $4,000;
probably there were nearer 100000 in
sight of the president when he took
the oath