The Republican journal., 1917-05-10
OPENING The bible
When the President Takes the
Oath of Office.
NO PLACE FIXED IN ADVANCE,

Is Entirely Matter of Chance-The
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 ard
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 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 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 supposition is
entirely wrong
James D. Maher, clerk of the SUI
preme court said that the opening of
the book is entirely ''haphazard" anu
that no man on earth has the slightest
lntimation i'll advance regarding the
passage of Scripture that will be thus
brought into notice.
Usually the Bible that is used in ad-
ministering 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 SIS. The
late James Fl. 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-
pirate the price of the book we might
never get a 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 we'll worn, leather
soI,
sented to him by his mother. The
book was taken from the White House
and in a few years found its way to
the stall of a bookseller in San Fran
cisco. How it got there has never
been known, nor is it likely it ever
will be. A few years ago it was Of
fered for sale at 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 4, 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.. Cleveland'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 its pos
SCISSOR
When Benjamin Harrison was made
president March 4, 1889, 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 r. Nc
Kee, the daughter of ex-President 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 In
relating the incident said: 1.-The day
before the Inauguration one of the
bishops called at my office with the
Bible. 1t 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 l realized that it 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 l 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