Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-14
CLERK M'KENNEY'S DUTY
Provides Books Employed by the In
coming Executive.
PREFERENCE OF CLEVELAND
Took the Oath on Bible Presented to
Him When a Boy-Mr. Roosevelt
Had Volume Utilized at Albany.

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 II. Mckinney, 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 Con-
stitution 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
"perquisites'' of the clerk.
Priced as a Keepsake.
No" said Mr. McKenney. in response
to question: mo, We do not use our
century-old Bible for the swearing in OF
Presidents: but 1t often happens that the
clerk supplies new book for the occa-
sion. 1t is the intention that the man
who takes the oath Of Office should have
the volume a keepsake, and 1t gen
orally transpires that his family, If not
himself. set much store by it. Not al
ways however nor even in a ma iority
Of cases. are we called upon 10 supply
q new book. for it frequently happens
that the President or some member or
his family is the owner OF some treasured
volume of the Scriptures, which 1t Is de-
sired that he should use upon this sacred
and important occasion.
This was the case when Mr. Cleveland
was inaugurated. He was the owner of
small Bible. not larger than your hand.
and which apparently had seen much
usage. His mother had presented it to
him when he was boy, and he had
treasured it ever since. When he was
consulted about taking the oath. when
first inaugurated as President. he stated
should be used for this purpose. When
the oath was administered to him at the
beginning of his second administration
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
should make his pledges
Volume Used by Mckinley.
Quite in contrast with this little vol
ume was the one used in administer ng
the oath to Mr.. Mckinley. The negro
bishops joined together and presented to
Mr. Mckinley one of the biggest books
have ever seen. 1t was an extraordi-
narily large family Bible. bound in heavy
morocco. trimmed in gold and stored In
a much ornamented box. / remember
very well that 1 was quite tagged out
from carrying it to the Senate chamber
and from that chamber to the platform
in front of the Capitol. After the b. BILE
had been used for this purpose / turned
it over to the President. but. notwith-
standing he had already received 1t. the
donors afterward 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 purpose when he was inauguratad
Governor of New York. We had bought
Bible for his inauguration when we re-
ceived word from Mrs. Roosevelt that
she preferred the use Of their own vol
ume, and it was accordingly substituted.
Bible for Emergencies.
I'VE still have on hand the Bible
bought for that occasion. but we shall
not use it for Mr.. Taft. Unless he fur
nishes book himself, We will get a new
one and will keep the Roosevelt 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 ii was suddenly de-
cided that it would be safer to again ad-
minister the oath in Washington. Ac-
cordngly, Chief Justice Waite and about
twenty other people Of prominence were
called very suddenly together in the Vice
Presidents room at the Capitol I ha |
to send uptown for a book and had but d
few minutes in which to eXecute the
commission. l succeeded, however. in
getting the book in time for the cera-
mony and was one of the few present
when Mr.. Garfields successor was
initiated into his high Office.
I'VE now make it point to have an
available book on hand at all times. and
will probably keep the Roosevelt Bible
for that purpose"