Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-20
JUSTICE WHITE is INSTALLED

always been a comparatively unostenta-
tious occasion. Instead of an escort from
the capitol to the White house, composed
Of saily attired civic organizations and
seasoned military commands, a new chief
justice has only his biack-robed brethren
on the bench in procession from the robing
room to the court room; instead Of his ap-
proRch being heralded by the loud huszas
OF cheering thousands, the advance to
power OF a new chief justice Is announced
by nothing more than the solitary tones OF
the court crier; instead Of an inaugural
address, outlining his policies the only ut
terance OF a new chief justice Is the SOL
emn words OF his oath OF office.
The dignity resting In the customs found
on the swearing into office Of John Jay,
John Rutledge. oliver Ellsworth and
John Marshall, and perfected In the days
OF Roger Il. fancy. Salmon p. Chase,
Morrison r. waite. Melville w. Fuller was
not materially disturbed today by radical
innovations.
Text OF the Oath.
The ceremonies Of elevating an associate
justice OF the court into the chief Justice
ship Of the nation began in the secret con-
fines OF the courts robing room. II is
mlnlstered just before the court takes its
place on the bench. The oath prepared
for today's occasion followed the form
prescribed by law II read;
!, Edward Douglass White. do solernnlv
swear that ! will support and defend the
constitution OF the United States against
all enemies, foreign and domestic; that 1
Will bear true faith and allegiance to the
same; that l take this obligation freely,
without any mental reservation or purpose
OF evasion, and that viii well and faith
fully discharge the duties Of the office on
which ! about to enter So help me God.
II was a similar oath OF allegiance that
created such tempest in the court. back
in reconstruction days. Hence unusual in
terest was conferred in its adm nistration
today to the first chief justice who had
borne arms in the cause OF the confederacy
by the senior associate justice of the court,
Justice Harlan, who had borne arms at
the same time in the cause Of the nation
what other justices Did.
Doubt had existed before the ceremonies
as to whether the new chief justice would
halt at the clerks desk in the court room
70 take the oath there as most OF the men
who have occupied positions on the bench
have done, or whether he would assume
his usual place on the bench and take the
oath there, Chief Justice Chase DID
There was doubt also as TO whether he
would hold in his hand the historic Bible
that practically all the chief justices and
associate justices have used in this cere-
mony or whether he would follow the
custom Of Chief Justice Chase in taking
the oath on a Bible provided for the occa-
sion.
The oath which the new chief justice
subscribed TO IN the open court IL known
as the judicial oath as distinguished from
the oath OF allegiance. II read:
l. Edward Douglass White. do solemnIy
swear that ] will Rdminist Justice with
out respect to persons, and do equal right
TO the poor and to the rich. and that j
will faithfully and impartAlly discharge
and perform all the duties incumbent on
me as chief justice OF the United States
according to the best OF my abilities and
understanding, agreeably TO the cOnstitu-
ton and laws of the United States SO
help me God