Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-11
Circulation Every 1000
Evening Yesterday xfAA6
TUESDAY. JANUARY IL, 1921.


III. Ieuislature already has sta1eeo
- .rranuements for an official attend
.noe upon the inauguration OF fresidene-
49,, Warren G. Harding, at Washington,
On Friday, March 4. The governor ano
n. staff members and officers OF the
I~sis,sture. and probably some state
,a,,.r, ,osethcr with the National Guard
n tho State, will attend IN fuD dignity
and importance. Our State soldiers WIN
nv, the front rank Of State oreaniha-
,,on, in the Inauguration parade. The ex-
,.,scs Of the States participation VIII DC
ra,d by the State, and all who may DC
fortunate enough to be included IN '"e
,srty will have royal time. withous ooe'
!. tbcnscIve.. The committee already
H. socur,i hotel accommodations Tor tne
legislative body.
I, !. interesting to note the inHoioue
,,a,ncv IN which this large representation
q tho State st the Inauguration OF res
H., has come to pass For many years
+, IVA, no, thought Of. In 1878, the mem
,er~ q, the Legislature and some ota'e
,eic,,I. attended the second Inauguration
9 President Grant, but paid theu own
,,,.r.cs excepting the item OF railroad
fare the railroad company furnishing
,ransportation. March Of that year was
h,,,crlv cold. and all participants IN the
.,.,,s,,r,tion suffered severely. Tbs Visit,
=, believe was the beginning OF the State
anticipation in the interesting quadfen-
rial event.
The neyt formal participation was IN
March 1855. when the Legislature, en-
Enthusiastically Democratic, determined 70
,.r,icipate in the inauguration OF MT
Cleveland. the first Democratic Pres'dent
,lo.,,ad aimee before the war. The rail-
rad company proffered special car,
rcll.prcvided with ''rcfreshnents OF all
Kinds but aside from this the members
,.;1 ,heir own expenses. No formal
committee Of arrangements was prepared.
and mot luck" was the rule in respect OF
hotel accommodations. The legislative
marty reached the old Pennsylvania RAIL
ro.a .t.,iop at sixth and b streets at 8
,,o,ocl IN the evening, on March 5, and
h..doi hv Representative Enochj Moore
s this city, marched IN ooos across
p,,rs,,vania avenue TO the old National
Ho.al To Mr. Moore's inquiry as to
vh., might be available the clerk said
,b~rr was one large room on the inst
soor. containing thirty cots. lheie are
;,rs. thirty in our party" quickly said the
Delaware leader. land vel take the room
The charge WIS one dollar per head for the
night Fortunate, indeed, were the Della
wareane. AZ the crowd was enormous
and Thousands of visitors walked the
..reets az Washington, that night, unable
70 sna a Mace to rest their weary bodies.
Rr,t the weather, fortunately, WAS de-
hghtful.
This legislative participation, however
WIS attended by an important innovation.
Il wa desired 70 send the State Militia,
IN take the States honored place at the
rirb, Of the inaugural procession, but the
economists of the Legislature objected.
The late Charles H McWhcerter. then
!, member Of the State Senate, after con-
.uitation with some of the public-spirited
members. quietly made arrangements for
he transportation of the militia and their
accommodation in Washington, trusting to
luck for securing sanction from the Legis-
ls,ure later. The State soldiers were few
n number. but they made notable show
ne AZ the head of the parade and re-
ceived much praise for their fine march
ins. The Legislature paid the bill, after
much grurnbling, and thus the innovation
proved successful.
With this precedent established, it
subsequently was an easy matter 10 Sc
cure legislative approval Of this form of
state representation in the inaugural
parade. and il Was but step from the
military representation to the repre-
sentation Of the entire State government,
including members Of the Legislature, at
the Stste's expense So now the inaugura-
tion Of 4 President OF the United States is
attended IN due form and ceremony
hv the administration of Delaware, and all
arrangements, financial as well as person
%. are made by the authority Of the Legs
laturc. through a designated committee,
and the State foots the bills