Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-22
Duties of the President on
the Fourth of March.
PRECEDENTS FOLLOWED
SELDOM ANY VARIATION FROM
THE SAME PROGRAM.
House Of Representatives, to Partici-
pate Officially for the First Time
Some Blunders In Arrangements
BY VIM. e. CURTIS.

BY WIN. e. CURTIS.
Written for me Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
1t takes a good deal of time and trouble
to arrange the inaugural ceremonies, al
though they occur once in every four years,
and there is seldom any variation from
precedents. The program Is made out by
Colonel Ransdell, sergeant-at-arms in the
Senate, approved by a committee Of sena-
tors, which this year consists Of Mr.. Spoon
err, Mr. Bacon and Mr.. Aldrich. The latter
has gone to Europe and his place has not
been filled. When the program Is arranged
1t is submitted for the approval of the Pres
ident. and is then carried out as rigidly as
possible But there are always little points
over which there Is friction and jealousies
which cause trouble.
President Roosevelt is not hard to please,
but at the same time he Is SUCKER ioE
promptness and propriety. 1t Is INTENDED
that he shall reach the Senate chamber
about five minutes before noon on the 4tn
of March, and thu old grandfathers CLOCK
which has marked the waste OF senatorial
time and opportunity for a century Will pc
int.ry,idated so that the pointers Will 1no1-
cate exactly that moment at the time OF
his arrival Senator Frye will then pro-
nounce his second valedictory as presloenI
oath to Mr.. Fairbanks, who Is expected TO
deliver an inaugural address, but will have
to cut it short Twenty-eight new senators
will then be sworn in. After that a process
sion will be formed, with Sergeant-at-arms
Ransdei in command, and marcn out
through the main corridor and Fotunoa 10
platform that Is being built on the east
front of the Capitol, where the President
will deliver the inaugural address and be
sworn in by the chief Justice Of the SUI
preme Court In the presence OF lOO,oOo free
and independent citizens more or less.
After this ceremony luncheon Will pe
served to the presidential party in one of
the committee rooms, for which half an
hour Is allowed. Then the President Will
return to his carriage and take his place
in a procession back to G. glass stand that
has been erected for him in front Of the
White House. There he will view the pa
rade.
This will be a long and tedious ceremony,
as 10000 men are expected In the process
march, the last of them cannot reach him
before dark. Then he goes to dinner, ana
can have only q few moments rest before
1t is time for the ball. which Will end hard
days work. He is expected to appear at
the ball at $50 o'clock. At 10 the grand
march will occur. when the President Will
be escorted by the committee on arrange
rnents and the reception committee through
the crowd. After making circuit Of the
pension Office he will return to his reception
room, eat supper and go home
Held Lincoln's Hat.
Among the many interesting suggestions
received by the inaugural committee is one
rhat deserves attention. A gentleman In
New Jersey. who remembers that Stephen
A. Douglas held the hat OF President Lin
coin when the latter took the oath and was
delivering his inaugural address. suggests
that ex-President Cleveland or William J..
Bryan be invited to Washington to- pay sim
liar courtesy to President Roosevelt. But
he does not mention Aiton+B. Parker as
available for that service. It certainly would
be much more appropriate fer Mr.. Parker
to hold the hat of his successful opponent
than for Mfr. Cleveland or Mr.. Bryan to do
it; and perhaps Judge Parker might be glad
to accept of such an opportunity to do pub
lie penance for the sins he committed in at
lacking the integrity of his opponent and
charging him with Matchmaking the trusts.
But If Judge Parker should appear on the
platform in such a conspicuous place he
would expose himself to great risks. There
are always Smart people in the crowd
that surrounds the inauguraf stand, and his
presence might suggest remarks that would
not sound as funny to him as they might
seem to the wOuid-be wits that make them.
The President will be accompanied by his
secretary, Mr.. Loeb, who Is very efficient
and experienced hat holder. The escort Will
be Mr. Spooner and Mr.. Bacon from the
Senate, Mr.. Dalzell, Mr.. Crumpacker and
Representatives to Assist.
The Inauguration Of 1906 will be the first
In which the House of Representatives has
ever participated officially. The Senate
never dies. 1t Is immortal, so to speak, and
continues from year to year and session to
session, although one-third of its members
go out and new third come in on the 4th
OF March every odd year. On the other
hand, all of the members OF the House are
elected for the same term of two years, and
when that term expires on the Sd OK March
of each odd year the House ceases to exist
until the next December unless the Presi-
dent should call an extra session of Con-
gress. Hence, as the House has no exist
ence on Inauguration day it has never been
represented In the proceedings. That honor
has been enjoyed by the Senate exclusively
until this year. when the Speaker appointed
three distinguished statesmen to assist the
Senate In managing the functions They
have not done and will not do very much.
but they will make an appearance and add
to the pomp and glory of the occasion. 1t
might be proper to intrust the House COM
mttee with the duty of holding the Prest-
dents hat. 1t Is an honorable and an easy
office. and Mr.. Dalzell, Mr.. Crumpacker and
Mr.. Williams. each and all OF them, might
be engaged in much less important and
agreeable occupations.
Some years ago there used to be q queer
old man around Washington who claimed
immortal fame because he had assisted
Henry Clay to put on his ''gums'-as they
called goloshes in certain parts of our land
after the great Kentuckian had delivered
his famous speech on the tariff. This gen.
tleman was employee of the Senate at
the time-a page. or doorkeeper, or mes
senger or something of that sort-and he
used to relate with great gusto how Mr.
Clay looked and what he said and how he
acted when he came into the cloak room,
reeking with perspiration from his oratori
cal exertion. He assisted the great man to
put on his overcoat and then. kneeling
down upon the floor before him, adjusted
his gums" He used to say that it was
the proudest moment of his life: that he
had never knelt to human being before.
but 1t was an honor for him. and 1t would
have been an honor for anybody. to kneel
for Henry Clay.
The members of the Senate are not ex-
actly IT. that mood at present toward Theo-
dore Roosevelt, but time Is a great con-
ciliator. and perhaps before the 4th Of
March their hearts will be sOftened to an
extent sufficient to permit the senatorial
committee to hold the presidential hat
while the inaugural address Is being deliv-
cred The Douglas-IincO precedent could