The National tribune., 1909-02-25

are the balconies to each of the three
stories, with a glass roof over all. Sew
eral hundred thousand electric lights
Will be scattered around the building
hidden among the foliage.
The illumination of the streets vii.
be something finer than ever before
witnessed in Washington, and some OF
the finest effects have been produced in
this city in days gone by. There is one
sad feature about our inaugurations,
however, which it does seem as tho
ought to be done away with. The finest
buildings in the city will be hidden by
reviewing stands. Our magnificent
Treasury Building, the finest example
of Greek architecture in the United
States, is hidden behind lumber and
muslin. Our very finest park. Lafay-
cite, fronting on the White House
grounds, will have its beauty marred
and it's finest statues covered up by
lumber reviewing stands and muslin.
Other parks along the route on Penn
sylvania avernue from the Capitol 20
the White House are treated in like
manner. There will be plenty of places
| for the people to sit, and the charges
| are very reasonable, but they viii not
see much of the beauty of Washington
until after the inaugural week is over.
In front of the Capitol. the east front,
an unsightly pile of lumber has been
nailed down, which will be covered
with bunting and will be used for half
an hour while the President takes the
oath of Office and makes his inaugural
address. The facade of the National
Capitol is one of the most impressive
architectural creations in this or any
other country. At those times when
there are most guests in the city it is
covered with lumber :.
The "reaI' inauguration will be ex-
tremely simple. as it always is. The
ride to the Capitol from the White
House in separate carriages, escorted by
the veterans of the Grand Army of the
| Republic, with the Marine Band lead
ing. The Vice President-elect will take
| the oath of Office in the Senate Cham-
ber in the presence of the President
and the members of the Cabinet, the
members Of the House and Senate, and
everybody else who has a right to the
floor of the Senate. which, of course.
includes all the Governors of States
who will be present, while the galleries
will be filled with throng of distin-
guished people, including the Diplo-
matte Corps. The Vice President will
make brief address after taking the
oath of Office, and then all will adjourn
to the Capitol steps. where the lumber
yard diSfgures the facade The long
procession will be headed by the Chief
Justice of the United States. and the
dent and Vice President-elect. the Cab
met and the "Cabinet-elect," and all
the distinguished people who have been
invited to the stand. If the day is
rainy or snowy or blistering cold, as It
usually is, most of the people will stand
up, for the thing is uncovered, and will
raise umbrellas and wear great coats
and furs. The President will take the
i oath of Office with uncovered head. and
| if March weather prevails he may in
cur pneumonia, as has been the case.
and which lost us President Taylor.
| He will make an inaugural address
which not above 100 people can hear.
but will make very good reading ar the
| fireplace that night under the electric
| lights. Then President Roosevelt will
| HE himself with his family to the
| Union Station and speed away to Oys-
ter Bay. while the President will head
| 4 long and gorgeous pageant down
Pennsylvania avenue to the White
House, where he will stand in the cold
some more and review troops. West
Point and Annapolis Cadets. civic or
ganizations. patriotic organizations. end
! then the plain people in marching clubs
/ for two or three hours.
If the weather is fine it will be one
of the most magnificent sights ever
witnessed in the Capital of the Ma
| ton, and il ought to be. The people
love their President, irrespective OF
party or partisanship. They want him
to go into Office with loud acclaim. and
all the panoply that rich young Ma
ton can well afford as an object-lesson.
| In the evening the President and Mrs.
Taft with the members of the Cabinet
will attend the ball" and there will
be the rarest display of gowns and
! Jewels that the lights of night ever
shone upon. There won't be any danc-
| ing. There won't be any room for il.
| That inaugural ball room will be SO
| packed with humanity that 1t will have
| to go spoon" fashion to get around.
But there will be magnificent music by
| the whole Marine Band, and you would
travel hundred miles any time to
hear that band, called the finest in the
world as
I While the ball is going on a good
many thousands of dollars worth OF red
fire and other things will be shot of
over in the Monument grounds, where
100000 people can gather
This will be an inaugural to remer1-
ber. for it is going to be a corker. as
President Roosevelt says, and there
never was anything like it in the world
before. The next one may be corra-'
spondingly gorgeous, bu. this one is to
eclipse all previous efforts. ~
II the weather is only decent,
Congress could give US this pageant IN
glorious April or May If it only WOULD \
but up to now 1t positively declines 10.
] do so. h