Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-03-06

the supreme court and the marshal of
the District of Columbia, made up the
vanguard of the procession OF high dig
nitaries. Behind these last came Chief
Justice Edward ID White OF the su.
preme court whose duty it was to ad-
minister the oath of Office TO the presi-
dent-elect and the associate justices.
followed by the committee on arrange
ments.
Then came the president and the
president-elect, and at their rear
distinguished following OF ambasa-
doris, governors and other dignitaries,
including the newly sworn vice pres
ident.
Chief Justice Administers Oath.
When the procession paused every
ear strained attention TO catch the
words that would usher into the chair
OF Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln
the first Democrat TO gain that high
place in a score Of years
Solemnly and distinctly, though most
of the waiting thousands hanging on
the event Of his words could not even
see the motions of his lips. the chief
justice administered the oath of office
to the presidentelect.
An instant the waiting host stood ST.
lent. Then 1t became shrieking, leap
ing mob, roaring a pandemoniac well
come to the nations new executive and
all but smothering the saluting can
non which first gave notice that a new
president had been inaugurated and
a new administration had begun.
From the crowd in the square and on
the platform the other massed multi
tudes that lined the broad sides Of
Pennsylvania avenue took their cue,
and It was many minutes before Pres
ident Wilson could begin his brief IN
augural address. Even then so great
was the clamor that only those nearest
to him could distinguish what he said.
Returns to Executive Mansion.
Immediately after the address was
finished President Wilson, accompa-
MED by the ex-president, fastened to
the Pennsylvania avenue side Of the
capitol, where carriages awaited to
take the party to the luncheon in the
executive mansion
During the drive Mr.. Taft sat on the
left of his successor. In this he follow
ed established precedent, a precedent
that was broken four years ago by
Colonel Roosevelt, who went directly
from the capitol after the inaugural
exercises were over TO the Union sta
81
All along the route up Pennsylvania
avenue the old and the new presidents
were greeted unanimously Indeed, to
an observer not familiar with the situ-
alton it might have been difficult to
determine which was the incoming and
which the outgoing chief executive, so
well did the genial Taft smile match
the beaming features Of President
Wilson.
At the executive mansion the two
were met by Mrs. Taft who hitherto
had taken no part in the days cere-
monies, and a subcommittee of the Of
fetal reception committee President
Wilson also saw for the first time
since early in the day Mrs Wilson and
their three daughters, who had been
under the escort Of special military
aids during the ceremonies at the cap
itol.
There was brief exchange Of COM
pliments between Mrs. Wilson and
Mrs. Taft, in which the latter graceful
ly turned over the suzerainty that had
been hers for the past four years to
the new mistress Of the White House.
Soon afterward the ex-president and
Mrs. Taft quietly left through rear
entrance to take the 3:05 train from
the Union station for Augusta, Ga.
Here they will spend several weeks be-
fore going to New Haven, where Mr..
Taft will take up his work as profess
sor Of law in Yale university.
Wilson's Official Day Begines.
President Wilson's official day began
at 1913 in the morning. At that hour
a delegation Of the congressional COM
mittee waited upon him at the Shore
nam. where he stopped during the
night, to escort him to the White
House.
A similar delegation awited upon
Vice President Elect Marshall at the
same hotel, where the new vice pres
Continued on page II