The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-02-15
INAUGURAL BIBLES
ARE HIGHLY PRICED
New Volume Used For Each lncom-
ing Executive Unless other
wise Provided.

Washington, d. c., Feb 15.-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 generally
known, but where the Bible comes
from is fact concerning which the
public knows less. The one who is
able to give more information on this
subject than any ether Is James II.
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, it always 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 United States, finds his palm
resting upon some passage which is
an augury of good for all concerned,
The purchase of the book is one Of the
"perquistes" Of the clerk.
mo" said Mr.. McKenney, in re-
SPONGE to a question; mo, we do not
use our century-old Bible for the
swearing in of presidents, but it often
happens that the Clerk supplies a new
book for the occasion. 1t is the in
tention that the man who takes the
oath of Office should have the volume
as a keepsake, and it generally trans
pires that his family, if not himself,
set much store by it. Not always
however, nor even in a majority of
cases, are we called upon 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
upon this sacred ana important oc-
casion.
This was the case when Mr. Cleve-
land was inaugurated He was the
owner of a small Bible, not longer
than your hand and which apparent
ly had seen much usage. His mother
mad 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
ed 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
beginning of his second administra
ton. the same volume, which on this
occasion had been hunted out by Mrs.
Cleveland was again brought forword
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 admins !
tering the oath to Mr. Mckinley. The |
negro bishops joined together and pre- 1
sented to Mr. Mckinley one of the !
biggest books ] have ever seen. 1t /
was an extraordinary large family bib |
le, bound in heavy morocco, trimmed |
in gold and stored in a much orna- |
mented box. | remember very well |
that l was quite tagged out from car |
rying it to the Senate chamber and |
from that chamber to the platform
in front of the capitol After the Bible |
had been used for this purpose ] turn
ed it over to the President, but, not
withstanding he had already received /
it, the donors afterwards called at the
White House and presented it with /
formal speeches, to which Mr.. Mckin-
ley made appropriate reply.
President Roosevelt was sworn in
on a Bible which had been used for
the same purpose when he was inau-
guated Governor 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 it was ac-
cordingly substituted.
I'VE 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 Roose-
welt Bible on hand for emergencies,
such for instance, as occurred when
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 administer
the oath in Washington. Accordingly
Chief Justice Waite and about twenty
other people of prominence were call
ed very suddenly together in the Vice
Presidents room at the capitol. had
to send uptown for a book, and had
but a few minutes in which to execute
the commission | succeeded however
in getting the book in time for the
ceremony and was one of the few pres
ent when Mr. Garleld's successor was
initiated into his high office
I'VE now make it a point to have
an available book on hand at all time
and will probably keep the. Roosevelt
Bible for that purpose
Afre noliia Hickman mas returned Z