Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-05

Thomas Riley Marshall, is the first
vice-president to be inaugurated a sec
ond time since the present system OF
party conventions came into use. Ac-
tually he is the fourth man to hold the
office a second time.
John Adams was twice elected vice.
president to serve with George Wash
ington; Daniel D. Tompkins served
through two terms with President
Monroe. John c. Calhoun was twice
elected vice-president on ticket with
John Quincy Adams and served until
his resignation rear the end Of his sec
ond term in 1882.
March 4 has fallen on Sunday three
times in an inauguration year. Pres
lient Monroe, acting on the advice OF
Chief Justice Marshall, set precedent
and took the oath on Monday, March
5.
General Zachary Taylor followed this
precedent when he was inaugurated In
1S49. March 4 again fell on Sunday
and he postponed taking the oath until
the following Monday.
President Hayes, however, took pre-
cautions against any opportunity Tor
charge Of irref ularity. The final vote
Of the tribunal which gave to him the
high office and thus ended the Tilden-
HAYES controversy, was announced on
Saturday, March 8, 1877. Mr.. Hayes at
once took the oath in the Red Room of
the White House. General Grant and
other notahles were present. The oath
was administered by Chief Justice
Waite.
The form Of Presidents inaugural
was largely devised by George WASH
ington. and like most all his work, has
stood tie test Of time. The ceremony
was conceived when the forefather's
were in the throes of a great revolu-
ton. and they intended 1t to be dis
tinctively American. Through the lapse
Of more than a century. virtually no
change has been made in the actual
ceremonies, although elaborate and
beautiful accomplishments have been
added.
Washington was inaugurated In New
York in 1889 for his first term and traV-
eled from Mount Vernon by horseback
and horsedrawn coaches. He crossed
streams on eight cared barges. For his
second term Washington was inaugur-
ated in Philadelphia in 1888 The oath
of office was administered by Chancel-
lor Livingston and the ceremony was
about TIE same as 1t is now. The Pres
ident was driven to the capitol in a
handsome coach surrounded by an es-
! cOrt. There was procession, and at
night a display Of fireworks.
! John Adams was inaugurated for his
1 one term in Philadelphia In the
meantime the District of Columbia was
created the capitol was named Wash
ington and Thomas Jefferson was elect
ed He was inaugurated here after IA
bitter contest in the House of Repre-
sentatives which exercised its consti-
tutional prerogative of choosing the
President. Accompanied by a few
friends jefferson rode to Washington
Lon horseback from Monticello and was
TescorteG into the city by troop of cav
airy. Alone he rode in q carriage to
his inauguration at the capitol. Ad-
ans, embittered by the controversy in
the House, had left the city. Histori-
anS say about thousand people
viewed his inauguration, in contrast to
more than a half million to see the sec
ond inauguration of President Wilson.
Washington in those days was almost
inaccessible to travellers and Inaugural
| ton celebra tons were held throughout
the country in many villages and
! towns.
The next inauguration-that Of Pres
| ident MadiSon,-is said to have been
attended by ter thousand people and
contemporaneous accounts express the
greatest amazement at the size of the
| crowd.
President Mcrroe was the first to
/ take his oath Of office out Of doors on a
! platform built over the Plaza at the
east front of the capitol as is now the
| custom. He had intended to take the
oath in the hall Of the House, but the
Senate claimed the honor. A wrangle
followed and compromise was made
by which the ceremony was conducted
| in the open air 1t is recorded that
while Monroe was taking the oath,
American eagles. birds now practically
extinct. flew majestically over the
dome of the Capitol.
John Quincy Adams was not inaug-
urated on March 4, because another
election contest in the House postponed
the ceremony until late that month.
| When finally held, it was the most
elaborate ceremony Of it's kind.
| The Inauguration of Andrew Jack
son in 1929, probably would have been
even more elaborate had not the in
coming President been in mourning for
| his wife. He rode to the Capitol in a
carriage constructed from the hull of
the gallant old frigate Constitution. 1t
was an elaborate ceremony, neverthe-
less. In comparison with present day
inaugurals Daniel Webster's comment
is interesting. He said
| Never has such a crowd been seen
here before. There must have been
fully eight thousand people along the
| line of march. People came five hun
dred miles to see the President inaug-
| urated."
Crowds kept on growing, however, as
| the country expanded, and it is said
President Van Buren's Inauguration
was attended by some twenty thous-
and people.
Citizen soldiery participated in such
ceremonies for the first time at the in
auguration of William Henry Harris
on. He rode to the Capitol in a coach
presented by Wings Of Baltimore and
the inaugural procession took on the
appearance Of a pageant. Harrison had
been elected on a protective tariff plat
form and floats bearing looms and
other machinery illustrative of the
growing American Industries were