The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-21
MRS. TAFT TELLS OF
HER INAUGURAL DAY

Mrs. William Howard Taft in the
DelineatOr: After | had fallen asleep
in the early morning hours, l was
reused by loud, cracking reports
whic seemed to be in the immediate
vicinity Of my windows. l got up
and looked out. 1t was light enough
for me to see hat the world was ice
bound and that the storm, instead of
a%bating, had increased in violence. The
cracking | had heard was the noise Of
twigs and tree limbs breaking with
the weight Of the ice which encased
them.
In the morning Mr.. Taft found
President Roosevelt in the great hall
below, genially alert.
storm will soon be over. 1t isn't a
regular storm. It's Natures echo Of
some Of the senator's denunciations Of
me. AS soon as l am out where l can
do no further harm to the Constitu-
ton it will cease"
You're wrong said Will: 1T is
my storm. l always said it would be
a cold day when l got to be president
Of the United States.
1t was really very serious. Rail
road and Geographic communication
was paralyzed all along the Atlantic
coast. Wires were down in every di-
~rection and traffic Of all kinds was at
"a practical standstill. Thousands Of
people, on their way to Washington
for the inauguration, were tied up at
points outside Of the city, and it was
impossible for a while even to get a
telegram in or out. However, nau
GuratiOnS do not wait for fair weather
and the program had to proceed.
About 1890 o'clock l saw the presi-
dent n the president-elect in a
closed carriage accompanied by Sena-
tors Knox and Bacon of the inaugural
committee, and a brilliant mounted es-
cort start on their slippery way toward
the capitol. The inauguration cere-
monies would not take place until y
o'clock, but there were a number of
bills waiting for the signature of Mr..
Roosevelt and it was necessary for
him to go early to the office of the
president at the capitol to attend to
this and other business details.
Before they left the White House it
had not yet been decided whether or
not the inauguration would take place
out of doors. Mr.. Taft regretted ex-
ceedingly the necessity for disappoint-
ing thousands of people, but at the
same time he recognized the danger
Of exposing the crowds to the wet
and penetrating cold, and he consid-
cred, especially, the im~possibility of
oSN4llS oIlISL justice + uIlSE, who was
then more than 20 years old and very
frail, to brave a blizzard even for the
purpose OF administering a presiden-
tial oath. However, he decided to
wait until the weather had given it's
Ultimate indication before changing
the program. He said afterward that
as he drove to the capitol there were
many brave citizens in the streets who
gave voice TO as hearty cheers as could
possibly be expected under the cir
CumstanCes.
1t was being taken care Of by Capt.
Archibald Butt, so l had rC:hing ey-
cept the weather to worry about, With
a last hopeless look u of doors l pro-
ceeded to don my inauguration fnery.
feeling duly thankful that it was not
too springlike in its character. The
newspapers said l wore a purple satin
suit. and a small hat trimmed with
gold lace. This is as good a descrip-
lion as any, though it might have been
more fattering considering the i'm
p~Ortance | attached to the subject.
At least two years before the cleo
tlon, when no n could anticipate
who would be the next president, Pres
ldent Roosevelt had announced at a
CABINET meeting that he did not intend
10 ride back to the White House with
ms successor. 1t was a precedent
winch he did not like and which he
desired TO break. Mrs. Roosevelt went.
with her family and friends. directly
from the White House to the station
to wait for her husband to ioin her
after the Inauguration. It was about
ll:3O o'clock when Captain Butt and I
started IN a limousine for the capitol
"here we arrived to find the scene
set Tor the ceremonies in the senate
chamber.
inns inauguration was said to he
by persons who had seen MANY. one If
the most Impressive ceremonies that
ever opened the administration of a
president. 1"
AS soon as Mr.. Taft had finished
speaking, Mr.. Roosevelt walked raid
~ up, and giving his hand a mighty
grasp, said something which sounded
like Bully speech, old man." and hur-
rIed out of the chamber, ACCOMPANIED
ny members Of his cabinet who were
70 see nm OF at the station. My hus-
band told me afterward that what ha
really said gas: God bless YOU, old
man. 1t 4 a great state document"
Since the eX-president was not 60
ing to ride haCk to the White House
with his successor, l decided that I
would. No presidents wife had ever
done it before, but as long as prece-
'CllNS DGIIIS u~lSF6RdfQe6.
thought it might not be too great a
risk for mo to disregard this one, or
course there was objection. Some of
the inaugural committee doubted it's
wisdom. but l had my way, and it was
arranged for Mr.. Taft and me to ride
back to the White House together.
By the time the inauguration cere-
monies were concluded the skies had
cleared and the sun a come out.
Mr.. Taft left the senate chamber with
the committee, followed by the assem-
bled dignitaries in the order of prece-
dence. With Captain Butt l hurried
from the gallery and Joined my hus-
band in the great hall under the dome,
On his way to the Platform on the
north side where the inauguration
would have taken place but for the
weather. In front of the temporary
structure many people had gathered.
and as we descended to the front thew
called for the new president. In re-
sponse he stepped to the platform
where the inaugural oath was to have
been administered and bowed repeat
eddy.
Chicago is estimated to have the
largest number of electric vehicles of
any American city, 1850, New York
coming second with 1000 and Cleve-