The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-02-22
BIBLES AT INAUGURATIONS
How the Books are Obtained
Interesting Facts Concerning
Bibles Used in Administering
Oath to Our Chief Executives.

Washington Dispatch, 18th.
That the incoming President
always takes the oath of office
on a Bible and that the ChiefJus-
tice of the United States adj
ministers the oath is generally
known, but where the Bible
comes from is a 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. Mckinney. clerk Of the Su-
preme Court, who is the man
who always has the sacred book
at the right place at~tte right
time, and in whose hands,
strange to say, railways so opens
that the august parsonage who
is about to pledge his fidelity to
the constitution and the best
interests of the people of the
Unised States finds his palm
resting upon some passage which
is an augury of good for all con-
cerned. The purchase of the
book is one of the "perquisites"
of the clerk.
No. said Mr.. Mckinney, in
response to a question; mo, we
do not use our century-old Bible
for the swearing in of Presi-
dents, but it often happens that
the clerk supplies a new book
for the occasion. It is the in
tention that the man who takes
the oath of office should have the
volume as a keepsake, and it
generally transpires that his
family, if not himself, sets much
store by it. Not always, how
ever, nor even in a majority of
cases, are we called upon to sup
ply 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 de-
sired that he should use upon
this sacred and important occa-
sion.
CLEVELAND's INAUGURATION.
This was the case when Mr..
Cleveland was inaugurated. He
was the owner of a small Bible.
not larger than your hand, and
which apparently had seen much
usage. His mother had present
ed 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 inaugurated as President,
he stated that he desired his
mothers present should be used
for this purpose. When the
oath was administered to him at
the beginning Of his second ad-
mlnlstration, the same volume,
which on this occasion had been
hunted outs by Mrs. Cleveland,
was again brought forward and
presented as the one upon which
her husband should make his
pledges.
"Quite in contrast with this
little volume was the one used in
administering the oath to Mr..
Mckinley. The negro bishops
Joined together and presented to
Mr.. Mckinley one of the biggest
books | have ever seen. It was
an extraordinary large family
Bible, bound in heavy morocco,
trimmed in gold and stored in a
much ornamented box. I re-
member very we'll that I was
quite tagged out from carrying
1t to the Senate chamber and
from the chamber to the plat
form in front of the Capitol.
After the Bible had been used
Tor this purpose I turned it over
to the President, bvt notwith-
standing he had already received
1t, the donors afterwards called
at the White House and presented
1t 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 purnose
when he was inaugurated Gov
ernor of New York. We had
bought a Bible for his Inaugural
ton When we received word from
MRS. Roosevelt that she preferred
the use of their own volume. and
1t was accordingly substituted.
NEW BOOK FOR TAFT.
We still have on hand the
Bible bought for that occasion,
but we shall not use it for Mr.
Taft. Unless he furnishes a
book himself, we will get a new
one and will keep the Roosevelt
Bible on hand for emergencies.
such, for instance, as occurred
when N Arthur took the oath of
Office In this city. He had been
sworn in in New York, but it
was suddenly decided that it
would be safer to again admin
lister the oath in Washington.
Accordingly Chief Justice Waite
and about twenty other people
OF prominence were called verv
suddenly together in the Vice
PRESIDENTS room at the Canitnl