The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-03-27
THE 1NAUGURATIoN BIBLE.

udI TIC 1u-Ou1luS lGolOCut always
takes the oath of Office on Bible
and that the Chief Justice of the
United States administers the oath,
is generally known, but where the
Bible comes from is fact concerning
which the public knows much less.
The one who is able to give more
information on this subject than any
other is James H. McKenney, clerk
of the Supreme Court, who is the man
who always has the sacred book at
the right place at the right time, and
in whose hands, strange to say, 1t al
ways so opens that the august per-
sonage, who Is about to pledge his
fidelity to the constitution and the
best interests of the United States,
finds his palm resting on some pas
sage which is an augury of good for
all concerned. The purchase of the
book is one of the "perquisites" of
the clerk.
"No," said Mr.. McKenny, in re-
sponse to a question; "no, we do not
use our century old Bible for the
swearing in of Presidents, but it often
happens that the clerk supplies new
book for the occasion. 1t is the in
tention that the man who takes the
oath of office should have the volume
as keepsake, and it generally tran
spires that his family, if not himself,
set much store by it. Not always,
however, nor even in a majority of
cases, are we called on to supply a
new book, for it 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 use
on this sacred and important occasion.
"Tnis was the case when Mr..
Cleveland was inaugurated. He was
the owner of small Bible, not larger
than your hand, and which apparent
ly had seen much 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, he stated that he de-
sired his mothers present should be
used for this purpose. When the
oath was administered to him at the
beginning of his administration,
the same volume, which on this oc-
casion had been hunted out by Mrs.
Cleveland, was again brought forward
and presented as the one on which
her husband should make his pledges.
"Ouite in contrast with this little
volume was the one used in admins
tering the oath of Mr.. Mckinley.
The negro bishops joined together
and presented to Mr.. Mckinley one
of the biggest books I have ever seen.
1t was an extraordinarily large fam
lily Bible, bound in gold and stored in
amuch hornamented box. remember
very we'll that I was quite tagged out
from carrying it to the Senate cham
Der and from that chamber to the
platform in front of the Capitol.
After the Bible had been used for
this purpose I turned it over to the
President, but, Notwithstanding he
had already received it, the donors
afterward called at the White House
and presented it with formal speeches,
to which Mr.. Mckinley made appro'
pirate reply.
president Roosevelt was sworn in
on a Bible which had been used for
the same purpose when he was in
augurated Governor of New York.
We had bought Bible for his inaug-
uration when we received word from
Mrs. Roosevelt that she preferred the
use of their own volume, and it was
accordingly substituted.
1--WE still have on hand the Bible
bought for that occasion, but we shall
not use it for Mr.. Taft. Unless he
furnishes book himself we will get
a new one and will keep the Roosevelt
Bible on hand for emergencies, such,
for instance, as occurred when Arthui
took the oath of Office in that city
He had been sworn in in New York
but it was suddenly decided that il
would be safer to again administer
the oath in Washington.
Accordingly Chief Justice Waite
and about twenty other people oi
prominence were called very sudden
ly together in the Vice President:
room at the Capitol. had to send
uptown for book, and had but few
| minutes in which to execute the com
mission. 1 succeeded, however, il
getting the book in time for the cere
mony, and was one of the few presen
when Mr.. Gar6eld's successor wa
initiated into his high Office.
1--WE now make it point to hav'
an available book on hand at all times
and probably will keep the Roosevelt
Bible for that purpose.-Meav Century
SHE FELT QUITE AT HOME.
/ HK~~1os.,a fa1lc nf fhi