The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-03-07

INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
~>~-~-~-~---~~~~>~~~~~~~ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
q number of his fellow citizens, among
whom were many members of con-
gress. repaired to the capitol His
dress was, as usual, that OF plain
citizen, without any distinctive badge
Of Office. He entered the capitol un-
der discharge from the artillery. AS
soon as he withdrew discharge from
the artillery was made The remain
der OF the day was devoted to pur
poses OF festivity. and at night there
was pretty general illumination"
jackson Almost Mobbed.
When Andrew Jackson was elected
in the fall OF 1923 the people OF the
west and the radical elements of the
south scored triumph and he was
hailed as man of the people," This
character was emphasized on the day
of his inauguration the following
March, for never before had such
huge motley throng gathered in Wash
ington. Jackson's wife had died not
long before, and he asked that the
ceremonies be made very simple, but
the masses were too hilarious to heed
the request. The weather was pleas.
ant and the east front Of the capitol
was used for the first time for the in.
auguration. In front of II surged
10000 persons who were restrained
only by great iron chain. Jackson
rode to the capitol on white horse
and went through the ceremonies with
dignity, and started back to the White
House, Then began his troubles, for
the people broke loose with ven.
geance
THE president was literally pursued
by a motley concourse OF people, rid
ing, running. helter-skelter, striving
who should first gain admittance into
the executive mansion, where 1t was
understood that refreshments would
be distributed" wrote a contempt,
rary, Mrs. Samuel Harrison Smith. In
their mad rush the crowds smashed
furniture and dishes and seized the
food as IL they were starving. THE
confusion became more and more al
palling. At one moment the presi
dent, who had retreated until he was
ment, could only be secured against
serious danger by number of gen.
tlemen linking arms and forming
themselves into barrier 1t was
then that the windows were thrown
open, and the living throng found an
outlet. It was the peoples day, the
peoples president, and the people
would rule
Taken figuratively, that might not
be so poor a description of the plight
of presidents in these later days.
Exposure Killed Harrison.
For IL years the Democrats con.
trolled the destinies of the country
and then the Wings elected William
Henry Harrison, who was inaugurated
March 4. 1S4t. by this time trans
portation was made easier by the
building of railways and the crowd
that tlocked to Washington was Inn
mense. 1t was much better behaved
than that which "honored" jackson,
but 1t was hungry for offices.
Cold. wintry blasts swept the streets
OF Washington that March day, and
Harrison. already old and rather
feeble. rode his white horse without
cloak or overcoat. and with his hat
on in salute to the cheering crowds.
The line of march was unprecedent.
eddy long. and so was the inaugural
address. and then the president led
the procession back to the White
House. The exposure was too much for
him and within one month he was
dead.
Llneoin's First Inauguration.
Immensely dramatic was the first
inauguration of Abraham Lincoln In
1861. From the day OF his election
threats against his life were numer.
GUS. and detectives discovered and
toiled an organized plot to assassinate
hha on his way TO Washington. The
big bodies of troops that had been
employed at former inaugurations
merely to add pomp to the occasion
now were used for the protection OF
the president. AS he rode to the
capitol in carriage he was preceded
by a company OF sappers and miners:
double file OF cavalry rode on each
side. and In the rear were infantry
and rthemen. On house tops and in
windows all along Pennsylvania ave.
nue. were posted rifiemen.
The day had opened cloudy, chilly
and dismal, but as the president step.
ped forward to take the oath from
the aged Chief Justice fancy the san
burst through the clouds and shons
full on the bowed head OF the man
who was to give up his life for the
country he loved. Lincoln himself
noticed this "sunburst'' and drew
from 1t happy augury.