Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-14
Clerk McKenny Tells Where The
Book Comes From.
ONE KEPT IS FOR EMERGENCIES
Sometimes a New Volume is Purchas-
ed For the Occasion, But Frequent
Iy the President Desires to Use
Treasured Gift or Family Book.

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Feb. Ia
That the incoming President always
takes the oath of Office on Bible and
that the chief justice of the United
States administers the oath is general
|. known, but where the Bible comes
from is fact concerning which the
public knows much less. The one
who is aide to give more information
on this subject than any other is
James II. Mckinney. clerk OF the SUI
prcme Court who is the man who
always has the sacred book at the
riyht place at the right time. and III
whose hands. strange to say. it always
so open that the august persOnag"
who is about to pledge his fidelity 10
th. Constitution and the best interests
of the people Of the United States.
finds his PLAN resting upon some pas
sage which is an aueury of good for
al concerned. The purchase of tn"
hook is one OF tn" prerequisites" OF
the clerk
NO.. said Mr. Mckcnney, in re-
Spouse to a question; mo. "" do not
us" or ccntrry-old Bibles for tn"
happens that the clerk supplies a new
book for the occasion. 1t is The in
t.ntion that the man who takes the
cath of office should have the volume
as :, Keepsake. and it generally trans
pres that his family. if not himself.
set much store by it. Not always.
however. nor even i'll majority or
eases. are VIC called upon 10 supply
q new book. for i: frequently happens
that the President or some member
OF his family is the owner of some
treasured volume OF the Scriptures,
which it is desired that he should
usc npon this sacred and important
occasion.
This was The case when Mr.. Cleve.
land was inaugurated. He was tn"
owner of small bible. not longer
than vour hand and which apparent
" had seen such usage. His mother
had presented it to him when he was
a boy, and he had treasured it ever
since. When he was consulted about
taking the oath. when first inaugural
GO! as President. he stated that he de-
sired his mothers present should be
used for this purpose. When the
oath was administered to him at the
hecinninc of his second adminiStra-
ton. the same volume, which on this
occasion had been hunted out by Mrs.
Cleveland, was again brought forward
and presented As the one upon which
her husband made his pledges.
Quite in contrast with this little
volume was the one used in admins
;ering the oath to Mr. Mckinley. The
negro bishops joined together and pre-
scented TO MIR Mckinley one of the
biggest books ] have ever seen. IL
was an extraOr iinarily large family
rible. bound in heavy morocco. trim
med in sold and stored in much
ornamented box. ! remember very
we'll that | was quite tagged out from
carrying it to the Senate chamber and
from th.. chamber to the platform in
front of the capitol. After the bibl"
had been used for this purpose !
turned it over to the President, but.
Notwithstanding he had already re-
ceived it, the donors afterwards call
cd at the White House and presented
il with formal speeches to which Mr..
Mckinley made appropriate reply.
"PreSident Roosevelt was sworn in
on a bible which had been used for
the same purpose when he was inaus.
urated Governor Of New York. We
had bought bible for his Inaugural
ticn when We received word from
Mrs. Roosevelt that she preferred the
use Of their own volume. and ii was
accordinSl: substituted
We still have on hand the bible
bcrght for that occasion. but We shall
not use il for Mr.. Taft. Unless h"
furnishes a hook himself. we will get
= new enc and will keep the ROOsc-
y.t liblc on hand for emergencies.
such for instance. as occurred when
Arthur took tn" Oa:h OF office in this
tirv. He had been sworn in in New
Work but il was suddenly decide!
tina; il would he safer to- again ad
minister the oath in Washington. Ac-
CnrdincIv Chief Justice Watt and
sbou' twenty other people Of promin-
cncc were called very suddenly TO-
gc.I,,r in tn" Nicc-Presiden:'S room at
The Capitol had to send uptown for
= book and had hr' few minutes in
which to cvccUtc tho commits sion |
s-,cCcc,Icd. however IN getting tn"
hook i'm tim" for the ceremony and was
orc n m" few present whom Mr.. Gar
fields yurcrssor was initiated into nj
high Office
We nov MAKE i poin: 10 hav"
an available hook on hand AT all times.
aud viii rrc'ahIv keep The Roosevelt
l,il"" for tia: purpose.