Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1917-05-14
OPENING THE Bible
When the President Takes the
Oath OF Office.
NO PLACE FIXED IN ADVANCE.

The Passage Of Scripture Upon Which
the Chief Executive Presses His Lips
10 Entirsiy Q Matter Of chanes--Ths
Bible After the Ceremony.
The president before he enters on
the execution OF his Office takes IN
oath or affirmation that he "will faith.
fully execute the Office Of president Of
the United States and will. to the best
Of my ability, preserye. protect and
defend the constitution OF the United
States" and this oath is usually seal.
cd or confirmed by the kissing Of the
Bible.
The kissing Of the Bible as part Of
the inaugural ceremony In perhaps fol
lowing very ancient custom. The
Egyptians were required TO kiss the
rolls ON which the commands Of Joseph
were written.
The custom requires that immediate.
ly after the president elect has taken
the oath, with hand on the Bible, the
clerk Of the United States supreme
court shall throw open tho book. and
the incoming chief magistrate shall i'm.
plant kiss on one Of Its open pages.
Doubling Thomases have always
thought that there was no element Of
chance In this performance and that
the passage Of Scripture Is always
carefully selected In advance. and the
book In held by the clerk Of the court
in position 30 that the incoming chief
will kiss the passage that It Is intend.
ed he shall kiss. but this supposition is
entirely wrong.
James d. Maher. clerk Of the su.
preme court. said that the opening OF
the book is entirely 'haphazard" and
that no man on earth has the slightest
intimation In advance regarding the
passage OF Scripture that will be thus
brought into notice.
Usually the Bible that Is used In ad.
minlstering the oath ~ bought by the
clerk OF the supreme court and paid
for out Of his pocket and Is small
Oxford edition costing $40 to Sl5. The
late James II. Mckinney. for many
years clerk Of the supreme court, once
said. You see. congress expcnds mon.
ey only by appropriation. and II we
were TO wait for congress TO appro-
pirate the price Of the book We might
never get Bible on time"
There have been exceptions, how
ever. when the Bible came from 9th.
er sources. For instance. when James
A. Garfield was inaugurated March 4,
1881. he carried In his overcoat pocket
TO the capitol n well worn, leather
bound volume which had been pre-
scnted TO him by his mother. The
book was taken from the White House
and IN few years found Its way to
the stall Of u bookseller In San Fran.
cisco. How 1t got there has never
been known, nor Is II likely II ever
will be. A few years ago II was Of.
fered for sale ut n very high price.
Chester A. Arthur took the oath OF
Office just after midnight at his home
In New York city Sept 20, 1851. The
Bible used was one belonging to the
then chief justice Of the state Of New
York II is cherished by the judges
family as an heirloom.
On March 4. 1885. when Grover
Cleveland was inauguratcd president
for the first time, lie. like Garfield.
kissed the Holy Book which was given
to him by his mother, II was u small
volume, bound In red leather. and was
presented to him many years before.
The book Is now In the possession OF
Mr.. Cleveland's married sister at To.