Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-12-19
WHITE TAKES
OATH Of OFFICE
Simple Ceremonies Mark In
duction of New Chief
Justice of United States
A DISTINGUISHED GATHERING
The Exercises Were Public but
Supreme Court Room Is
; Very Small.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 19.-Ed
ward Douglass White today took the
oath of office as chief justice of the
United States supreme court.
Harlan Administers Oath.
Washington, Dec. 19.-simple pub
ic ceremonies of installation were
held in the presence of the bench and
a distinguished gathering that filled
the little court room. The oath of al
legiance was administrated by Asso.
ciate Justice Harlan.
A Simple Ceremony.
Washington, Dec. 19.-Because of
the overwhelming modesty of Chief
Justice White, officials of the court
were uncertain as to the exact details
of the ceremony of the day until they
had actually occurred. In a general
way, the broad customs attending the
induction into office of the head of
the court were followed.
Unlike the Inauguration of a Presi-
dent as the head of the coordinate
branch of the government, the in
duction into office of a chief justice
of the United States has always been
a comparatively unostentattious oc-
casion. Instead of an escort from the
capitol to the White house composed
oil gaily attired civic organizations
and seasoned military commands, a
new chief justice has only his black
robed brethren on the bench in pro-
cession from the rObing room to the
court room; instead Of his approach
being heralded by the loud huzzas Of
cheering thousands, the advance to
power of new chief justice is an
nounced by nothing more than the
solitary tones of the court crier: in
stead of an inaugural address outlin.
ing his policies the only utterance Of
new chief justice is the solemn
words of his oath of office.
The dignity resting in the customs
founded on the swearing into office
of John Jay, John Rutledge, Oliver
Ellsworth, and John Marshall, and
perfected in the days of Roger 3.
Taney, Salmon P. Chase, Morrison r.
Waite and Melville w. Fuller was not
materially disturbed today by radical
innovations.
The ceremonies of elevating an as
sociate justice of the court into the
chief justiceship of the nation began
in the secret confines of the courts
robing room. 1t is here that the
oath of allegiance is administered,
just before the court takes its place
on the bench. The oath prepared for
today's occasion, followed the form
prescribed by law. 1t read:
"I, Edward Douglass White, do SOL
SWCdi ludJ L Will ouPpoiI ohN
defend the constitution of the United
States against all enemies, foreign
and domestic; that I will bear true
faith and allegiance to the same; that
/ take this obligation freely, without
any mental reservation or purpose Of
evasion, and that l will well and faith
fully discharge the duties of the Of
flee on which I am about to enter.
So help me Cod"
1t was a similar oath of allegiance
that created such tempest in the
court, black in reconstruction days.
Hence unusual interest was centered
in its administration today to the
first chief justice, who mad 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.
Doubt had existed before the cere-
monies as to whether the new chief
justice would halt at the clerks desk
in the court room to take the oath
there as most of the men who have
occupied positions on the bench
have done, or whether, he would as
sumo his usual place on the bench
and take the oath there as Chief JUS
tice Chase did. There was doubt also
as to whether he would hold in his
hand the historic Bible that practi-
cally all the chief justices and asso-
ciate justices have used in this cere.
mony of whether he would follow the
custom of Chief Justice Chase in TAX.
ing the oath on Bible provided for
the occasion.
The oath which the new chief jus.
tice subscribed to in the open court is
known as the judicial oath as distin-
guished from the oath of allegiance
1t read:
"I, Edward Douglass White, do sol.
emnly swear that I will administer
Justice without respect to persons,
and do equal right to the poor and to
the rich. and that I will faithfully and
impartially discharge and perform all
the duties incumbent on me as chief
Justice of the United States according
to the best of my abilities and under
standing, agreebaly to the constitu.
ton and laws of the United States
So help me God"