Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-03-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Prom Our Regular Correspondent

has long been notorious for inclement
weather, but the fourth of March, 1909,
the day of President Taft's induction
to Office, attained climax of elemental
violence Never before had such pre-
paration been made for inauguration
ceremonies. More money had been ex-
pended than on any previous occasion
for street and stand decoration, for fire.
works and for the inaugural ball. Ev-
cry prospect pleased and only the
weather was vile. A blizzard set in the
night before the fourth and ragged with
increasing violence until after the time
for the President and the President
elect to proceed to the Capitol. 1t was
pitiful to see thousands Of soldiers and
visitors making an effort, in spite of
the elements to see parade that did
not form or march. The banked seats
and chairs that lined the south side of
Pennsylvania Avenue by the thousand
were vacant The avenue was deep in
snow and sluch. Water and snow,
mixed, at the curb was from four to six
inches deep.
At the appointed hour, President
Roosevelt and President-elect Taft
drove down the avenue in closed car
riage, escorted by troop of dragons.
They drove rapidly and reached the
Capitol in good time. The President
elect took the oath and instead of read
ing his address from the east front of
the Capitol where an elaborate tenn
porary platform and provision for seat
ing two or three thousand people had
been made, he read it in the Senate
Chamber. After this ceremony, ex-
President Roosevelt rose to 60 and tax
ing the President by the hand, bade him
goodbye and good luck. The Presi-
dent put his hand on Roosevelt's should
er and Roosevelt responded and the
President and ex-President embraced
like brothers. This spontaneous, unre-
hearsed, impressive leave taking caught
the sympathy Of the audience and
there was approving applause from the
floor and the gallery. Ex-President
Roosevelt had an ovation as he went to
the Union Station, only three blocks
distant from the Capitol and there TAX
ing seat with his family in the car,
went to New York for the first time in
eight years as private citizen.
The Inaugural Ball was the only sue
cessful public fete Of the Inauguration
ceremonies. 1t was we'll attended-in
fact crowded although the admission
was $5 for every man and woman.
There was but little dancing, All in
terest centered in the appearance Of
President Taft, who with Mrs. Taft
and the managers Of the ball, made an
entire circuit of the immense hall in a
roped off space and then proceeded to
an enclosure in the balcony where the
party was, for an hour, the cynosure of
all eyes.
There is more emphatic talk than
ever before about changing the inau-
guration date from March the fourth to
April the 30th, or to the last Thursday
in April. OF course, there is NO assur-
ance that there may not be occasional
rain on this later date, but 1t will be al
most certainly net be cold rain or snow
and absolutely certain no such blizzard
as was experienced ut this Inaugural
ton. There have been spasmedic eff
forts to change the inauguration date
from the boisterous season of early
March to the later and more salubri-
Gus season, but there has always been
some congressional crank or cynic to
object and such salutary change as
would be possible and easy under a
benign despotism appears to be next to
impossible when it depends on three or
four hundred members of Congress
pulling at cross purposes. This seems
to be the curse of democracy in more
ways than one. What is everybody's
business is nobody's business and what
is nobody's business is everybody's
business to mar and wreck.
There seems to be very general APP
proval of President Taft's inaugural ad-
dress. There is nothing startling in his
administrative or legislative program
as announced. That he would uphold
the Roosevelt Policies was expected.
He was chosen and electe d to maintain
them. He comes into office with a
clean slate; with probably many friends
to reward but it is to be hoped with no
enemies to punish. 1t is evident that
although he has adopted the Roosevelt
policies, he is determinedInot to estrange
from himself and his administration
the Roosevelt enemies. His admins
tration is begun with reciprocal good
feeling between himself and the nation
al Congress. Members of the Ananias
Club have already been invited to dine
at the White House and it is believed
that the well known geniality and
bonhomme of the President will have
an effect to oil the gudgeons Of politics
which have ground and grated Isome-
what creakingly during the strenuous
regime of his predecessor.
OF course the most important part of
the inaugural address is that which an
nounced that Congress will be called in
extra session March the 18th to revise
the tariff. This prompt keeping OF
prediction pledge is praise worthy,
though expected. The tariff must be
revised, for as it stands it is the cause OF
many conflicts in monopoly and re-
straint Of trade which will not disap-
pear until the schedules have been re-
vlsed. Government revenues are fall
ing off. A deficit of 40 millions is