The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-05-11
OPENING The BIBLE
When the President Takes the
Oath of Office.
NO PLACE FIXED IN ADVANCE.


Bible After the Ceremony
The president before he enters on
the execution of his office takes an
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, preserve, protect and
defend the constitution of the United
States,' and this oath is usually seal
ed or confirmed by the kissing Of the
Bible
The kissing of the Bible as part of
the inaugural ceremony is perhaps fol
lowing very ancient custom. The
Egyptians We're 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
che incoming chief magistrate shall i'm
plant kiss OH one of it's 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 is held by the clerk OF the court
in position so that the incoming chief
will kiss the passage that it is intend
ed he shall kiss, but this suppositlon 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
mintsterlng the oath is bought by the
clerk of the supreme court and paid
for out of his pocket and is a small
Oxford edition costing $40 to $l5 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
We're TO wait for congress to appro-
4
never get Il 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 iu his oyercoat pocket
to the capitol a we'll worn, leather
bound volume which had been pre-.
sented to him by his mother. The
book was taken from the White House
and III a few years found It's way tc
the stall of a bookseller In San Fran.
cisco How it got there has never
been known, nor is it likely 1t ever
will be. A few years ago it was of
fered for sale at a very high price
Chester A. Arthur took the oath Of
Office just after midnight at his home
In New York city Sept 20, 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 A. 1885, when Grover
Cleveland was inaugurated 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.. Cleyeand's married sister at To-
ledo o. The Bible upon which he took
the oath in 1898, eight years later
when he became president the second
time, was one presented by his beau
tiful wife, and she became it's pos
SCISSOR
When Benjamin Harrison was made
president March +, 1899, the 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 II. Me-
| Kee the daughter of eXPresident Har-
rison.
President Mckinley used Bible that
had been presented TO him by the
negro bishops of the country. 1t was
the biggest Bible ever seen at the
| clerks office, and Clerk Mckinney III
| EeIdIulS Tue luNIu6uL Sdlu. NE ia
before the Inauguration one of the
bishops called at my office with the
Bible. 1t was a 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 l realized that 1t would be my
lot to 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 til,
day following the inauguration the
clerk of the court takes the Bible tC
the White House and presents it tc
the first lady Of the land as a keep
sake.--Exchange
Ra-enforced Concrete.