The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-02-16
WANTS A NICE
INAUGURATION
By Ernest q. walker.

lieu prominence ana overlapping AT
fairs of state, the inaugural commit
tee by its great activities is remind
ing Washington more forcibly than
ever that the days of grace for the
old administration are waning. Talk
of magnificent parades, unequaled dec
orations along historic Pennsylvania
avenue, glorious fireworks, electric ra-
dance from the dome of the Capitol
and the peak of the Washington mon.
umeut, illuminated cascades, and n
ball of surprising brilliance abounds
everywhere in Washington as the de-
tails of the coming event are fixed
upon.
A day or two ago the mighty com.
mittee on rules of the Senate met in
its little room on the ground floor of
the Capitol. Senator Knox, prospec-
tive Secretary of State, is its chair
man. They discussed the inaugural
plans at the Capitol which really is
the only official part of the inaugural.
The Senate provides with special pains
for that ceremony, not the least im-
portant task in that connection being
the enormous platform, covering two
or three acres on the east front. Very
soon now the sound of hammer and
saw will make din in that vicinity,
but it will be carefully restricted to
hours not in conflict with delibera-
tions of the Senate and the House
Mere carpentering can not be allowed
to disturb the Solons at their labors
Coming to Rent Their Quarters.
Platoons of visitors are coming tc
town daily and going up and down
the lines of hotels and boarding
houses of the most centrally-located
thoroughfares. They want quarters
for governors and high-browed delega-
tions, for civic organizations and
marching clubs. The applications for
n place in the parade are pouring In.
National Guardsmen will come in
force. A little city of houses alone
will be needed to give them sleeping
room and sustenance. Tons of extra
provisions must be laid in store. The
restaurants and other establishments
that provide refreshments for the
inner man are putting in big orders
early, although it ought to be said
that there is no danger of - famine
even though the inaugural visitors
should be twice as many as all the in.
dications promise.
I, Somebody got an impression that
President-elect Taft did not want
great, spectacular inaugural. That
seemed to forecast efforts toward n
!" simple ceremony The old "sim.
PIE ceremony suggestion comes 70
the front every four years. In the
earlier times it was much coupled with
illusions to Jefferson simple III.
augural and the now exploded story
that he rode to the Capitol alone on
horseback, hitched his horse to an ad-
iacent post and walked up to the east
front to take the oath.
3 AS matter of fact, all inaugurals,
as far as the ceremony itself is CON
cerned, are very simple. They can be
nothing else. The frills come in the
decorations and observances almost en-.
tirely outside of it and purely unofli-
cial. But the other day President
elect Taft sent word to the inaugural
committee that he wanted "nice in
augural.'' That stimulated the COM
mittee of prominent Washington citi-
zens anew. They will make it "nice,"
for the one aim of an inaugural com
mittee is to have things to suit the
man who is the center of all the pro-
eeedings on that day.
Everything Little More Grand.
And so it is that the parade prom
Uses to be little larger than
ever before, the decorations little
more profuse, little more artistically
arranged, the inaugural ball little
more conspicuous for its display and so
on through long inaugural category.
the organization that shall have the
post of honor in the parade. 1t has
often been some organization from the
home state of the President elect. This
year a division of veterans of the Civil
War and of the Spanish War will have
The coveted honor of escorting Mr..
Taft. That has proved a happy solu-
lion and especially pleases Mr.. Taft.
The scramble for seats at the Capt.
toll and at other coignes of advantage is
also proceeding. 1t is very important
10 have good place to sit. Owners
of buildings along the line of march
month s wages. Well heated and cosy
are beginning to tear out furniture and
putting in seats at windows stretching
a mile and more from the Capitol to
the White House. A room, fronting on
the avenue, will rent for as much as
it offers the ideal of comfort for seeing
the parade pass. in such distance there
are always new buildings under con.
struction or being remodeled The
owners of these are Fastening work to
have the rooms fit for renting on
March 4. One owner of property, under
just opposite the Treasury
building, has given orders that the
steam heating plant shall be installed
and in complete operation by the time
the eventful day comes. He expects
to make 5000 from the rent of dozen
rooms, before he throws them open to
Eliminates the Hotel Bill.
In the old days the President and
the President elect used to live on OPP
posite sides of Lafayette Square for
twenty,four hours before Inaugural.
ton. The latter would come to town
and take suite of rooms in that part
of the Arlington Hotel which used to
be the residence of Senator Charles
Sumner of Massachusetts,. The Pres
ident elect FASTENED to make call at