The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-08-24
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
Is Entirely q Matter Of chanee-The
Bible After the Ceremony.

! Tie president Defore he enters on
the execution of his office takes an
oath or affirmation that he Twill faith
fully execute the office of president Of
the United States and will, to the best
Of my ability, preserve, 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 is perhaps fol
lowing a 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 the book, and
| the incoming chief magistrate shall i'm
plant a 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 I'm advance, and the
! book is held by the clerk of the court
In position so that the incoming chief
will kiss the passage that 1t is intend
ed he shall kiss, but this supposition Is
entirely wrong.
James ID. 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 I'm ad.
ministeriNg the oath is bought by the
clerk of the supreme court and paid
for out of his pocket and is n small
oxford edition costing SO to SIS. The
late James II. Mckinney, for many
years clerk of the supreme court, once
said, You see, congress expends mon
ey only By appropriation, and If We
were TO wait for congress TO appro-
pEiate the price of the book we might
never get Bible on time"
ever. when the Bible came from 9th
er sources. For instance, when James
a. Garfield was inaugurated March L.
1881, he carried in his Overcoat pocket
to the capitol a well worn, leather
bound volume which had been pre-
scented TO him by his mother. The
book was taken from the White House
and in few years found its way TO
the stall of bookseller in San Fran
cisco. How it got there has never
been known, nor Is it likely 1t ever
will be. \ few years ago it was Of
fered for sale at very high price.
Chester \. Arthur took the oath of
Office Just after midnight ut his home
in New York city Sept. 90, 1881. The
Bible used was one belonging to the
then chief Justice of the state Of New
York. 1t Is cherished by the judges
family as an heirloom
On March 4, 1885, when Grover
Cleveland was inauguratcd president
for the first time, he, like Garfield,
kissed the Holy Book which was given
to him by his mother. 1t was a small
volume, bound in red leather, and was
presented TO him many years before.
The book Is now in the possession of
Mr.. Cleyeland's married sister at To-
ledO, o. The Bible upon which he took
the oath in 1898, eight years later
when lie became president the second
time, was one presented ly his beau
tiful wife, and she became its pos
SCISSOR.
When Benjamin Harrison was made
president March i. 1850, thr Bible used
was one that his wife had given him
on the day of their marriage in OK
ford, o., where President Harrison
spent his school days. The Harrison
Bible is owned by Mrs James l.. Nc
Kee, the daughter Of ex-PrCsidcnt Har-
risOn.
President Mckinley used a Bible that
had been presented to linn by the
negro bishops of the country. 1t was
the biggest Bible ever seen at the
clerks office, and Clerk Mckinney In
relating the incident said: THE day
before the Inauguration one of the
bishops called at my Office with the
, Bible. IL was huge affair Of the
type known as family Bibles 1t rested
! in an ornate box lined with purple vel
vet and ornamented with gold. The
box was fastened by lock and key.
/ When / realized that It would be my
lot 70 carry that huge Bible from the
senate chamber clear out to the front
of the capitol my knees grew weak
and | could not refrain from asking
the bishop jokingly where the wheel
barrow was that should go with it."
The invariable custom is that on the
day following the Inauguration the
! clerk of the court takes the Bible TO
! the White House and presents it to
the first lady of the land as a keep
sake.-EXchange.