The San Francisco call., 1905-03-05
FAIRBANKS GIVEN THE OATH
BY FRYE IN SENATE CHAMBER
Indianan Makes Brief Address and at Once Assumes
the Duties Of Office Of Vice President

WASHINGTON. Mar. 4.-In the pres
ence OF as many of his fellow citizens
as could be crowded into the Senate
chamber, Charles Warren Fairbanks
was at high noon to-day inducted into
the Office of Vice President of the
United States. The ceremony was
quickly followed by the final adjourn
ment of the Senate of the Fifty eighth
Congress, the beginning of special
session, an address by the Vice Presi-
dent and the swearing into office of al
most a third of the membership Of the
Senate. All these official acts took
place in, the chamber just before the
inauguration of the President and
were in reality. while themselves OF
great import, the prelude OF the more
important event.
The installation Of the new Vice
President was severely simple, and as
promise, solemnly made with uplifted
hand and bowed head, to perform the
duties of the Office and to support and
defend the constitution of the United
States. This was the oath of Office and
1t was administered by Senator Frye
as president pro tempore of the Sem
ate. The two officials stood facing
each other on the elevated platform on
which rests the desk of the presiding
officer of the Senate. practically on the
same spot on which all the incoming
Vice Presidents for the last fifty years
have stood
A GALA ASSEMBLAGE
Plain and democratic though the cere-
mony was, 1t attracted TO the Senate
a gathering of notable people, many of
them Of such Importance that. In ac-
cordance with time honored custom,
their appearance was heralded with
pomp sufficient to atone for the SIM
plicity Of the official acts OF the occa-
sion, If not to quite oyershadow them.
These guests included the foremost
representatives OF the official life Of the
capital city, foreign and domestic. civil
and military, and also many other per-
sons of prominence from all parts OF
the country.
On the Senate floor with the Cabinet
were the President Of the United States.
himself about to be inaugurated: the
/ diplomatic corps, the Supreme Court
of the United States, the members of
the House of Representatives, the lieu
tenant general Of the army, the Gov
ernors of States and others distinguish
ed by reason OF position or achieve
ment These sufficed to tax the capac-
ity of that part of the hall, and they
were splendidly supplemented and sur
rounded by the attendance In the gal
leries, consisting in large part of the
wives, relatives and friends of the mer
who occupied seats below. many OF
them as distinguished In private and
social life as the others in the public
I service.
GALLERIES LEND COLOR
Practically all the variety Of hue
and vivaeity of scene came from the
galleries, for aside from the decorations
worn by the foreign representatives
/ and the gold lace with which the uni
forms Of the few army and navy off,
/ GERS present were decorated there was
/ a dull level of black and brown on the
1 first floor. This monotony was relieved
/ somewhat in the background by g
| sprinkle of gold on the gray walls OF
| the chamber, but 1t was not sufficient
| to compensate for the absence OF ami.
nation which only the ladies, with theil
/ flowers and ribbons and feathers, could
contribute.
The section Of the gallery usually de.
voted to the private use Of Senator,
was to-day entirely surrendered tt
what may be called the executive party
and was occupied by the families and
/ Immediate friends of the President and
| the Vice President and OF the member,
of the Supreme Court and the Cabinet
The front row of seats on one side O.
! this section was filled by the members
of the Presidents household and thu
corresponding row on the other side b!
| those of the Vice President Mrs
! Roosevelt and the wife and mother o.
Vice President Fairbanks were pres
! ent.
HALL NOT OVERCROWDED.
The diplomatic gallery. which Il
rarely occupied by more than two OF
three persons at a time, was crowded
tO-udy py the WIVES VI representative q
of the various foreign embassies ant
legations, all manifesting much eager
ness to witness the ceremony. Direct
| ly opposite that quarter numeroul
members Of the newspaper fraternit,
occupied their usual places In tn,
press gallery, most of them di1igentl,
engaged in portraying the interesting
scenes about them. Other portions o.
the gallery were given over to persons
holding special tickets. Every mich,
ard Granny was filled, but the careful
prearrangement which limited tn,
number of tickets to the exact capacit,