The Washington herald., 1909-02-28
By John : HARDWOOD.


What viii be the dramatic incident OF
the quadrienniaUy occurring event on
which the eyes Of the entiEe civilized
world viii be fixed next Thursday-the in
auguration of a President OF the United
States?
Every Presidential inauguration has
been marked IN the public mind of the
time and in history as well. as a general
rule by at least one connecting dramatic
incident. Sometimes the Incident Of itself
has been trivial; again. 1t has occupied g
prominent part in the business Of for
mally conducting q new administration
into Office. But whether Insignificant OF
looming. It has served to break the level
OF the inauguration routine 70 the popu-
lace-lifted the event, az it were. from
the slough OF monoJony and given to II
the human interest" coloring for which
the great rlass Of onlookers at the pre-
mier national event crave in all its in
tensity Therefore. whatever may turn
out TO be the dramatic incident Of the i'm
pending Inauguration. We may rest sure
Of tins. that It viii continue to be talked
Of many a day after everybody has for
o gotten in which voice Mr.. Taft delivered
his inaugural address. OF what he had 10
say in it.
OF course. the Presidential Inauguration
that was one long and historical dramatic
incident from beginning 10 end-0r rather.
an unbroken series Of such .incidents-was
that which made Gen George Washing
ton the first President Of the new trans
Atlantic republic Quiet and orderly
though the inauguration was. and void Of
much Of the glamour and Ostentation Of
present day inaugurations. nevertheless
the inaugural Of Washington has taken
its place in history as one Of the most
dramatic events II mankind-s 5 centuries
Ol6 fight for national and individual free
dom.
BayOnets and Cannon Ready.
LincOln's two inaugurations remain the
country's only ones where the soldiery
was present not 10 make an inaugural
holiday for the multitude but 10 insure
the safety OF the President-elect- At his
first inauguration. whenever the populace
glanced upward they beheId the armys
best shaTpshOOters stationed in upper
windows and upon roofs all along the
lire Of the parade They had 10 peer be
tween solid lines Of infantry to get their
much-desired glimpse Of the tail West
erner as he rode 10 the Capitol ia the ira
ditionaI open csrriage-a dramatic. Incl
dent in itself. due 10 the fact that Lin
coin had refused TO heed Buchanan's ad-
vice 20 go 20 his inaugural in a closed
carriage. even though he knew fun vel
Of the alleged threats 10 XIII him And
al the cross streets. guarding them sedU-
lousy. stood squads Of cavalry: and even
as Lincoln took the oath Of Office and
spoke the words of his inaugural address
a forest Of bayonets shot up at his feet
and cannon mouths yawned on every ap-
proach 10 the platform from which he de-
Ivered his nov historic paper.
What could have been more dramatic
than the sight of Lincoln as he rode
down this lane Of national diSsensi0n and
GisCoTd. ZlOOmily prophetic Of the war al
hand cOOlly telling his best jokes 10 The
retiring President, Buchanan, and laugh
ing-outwardly, AT lesst-as heartily as
ever he did when he was the obscure but
popular postmaster Of the now vanished
little town Of New Salem IIL2 Or What
more dramatic than the sight Of well
known SOUthernerSme known 10 be
strongly opposed TO Lincoln and his pO-
litical principles forgetting themselves
under the power OF this plain President
eloquence and cheering him as Justify as
the old friends from Illinois? Then, too
back Of that tall gaunt form, stood ths
short. squat figure Of the man whom Lin
coin had defeated in November-the 'lit-
lie giant" Stephen A Douglas. also OF
Illinois; and It fell 70 the lot OF ths
Northern Democracy's candidate to hold
LinCOln's hat while ne went through thg
ceremony Of Inauguration and otherwise
10 wait on his political conqueror-
Thus. dramatic incident after incident
some trivial. some significant OF coming