Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-03-11
HARDING TAKES
PRESIDENT lob
CEREMONIES ARE KEPT FREE
FROM EVERY SHOW OF
POMP.
INAUGURAL CEREMONY SIMPLE
Harding Chooses Scripture Verse Elk
toilins Belief in God.-Dramatic
Features of Event Center About
Feeble Figure of Wilson.

WASHINGTON, March 4. = The
reins OF presidential authority passed
from Woodrow Wilson to Warren G.
Harding today in an inaugural cere-
mony at once the simplest and most
dramatic of a generation.
The drama conferred about the re-
tirement of Woodrow Wilson. Insist
ent to the last that he would carry
out IA retiring presidents customary
part in the ceremonies, Mr.. Wilson
finally yielded to the warning of his
physician that he might endanger his
life, and only accompanied his sue
cessor to the capitol.
AS he descended from the White
House portico to enter the waiting
automobile secret service men placed
his feet on each descending step;
when he left the car to enter the cap
itol he was practically lifted up a
short flight of steps by an attendant.
Before Mr.. Harding had bee pres,
ident two hours he, had gone to the
White House to hang up his hat
and go to work." as he had often said,
and unlocked the White House gates,
for four years closed to the public.
Mr.. Harding took the oath of office
at Ills p. M. exactly eight years to
the minute from the time Mr.. Wilson
took his first oath. The inaugural
ceremonies were kept free from al
NEST every show of the pomp and
circumstance that usually surround
the incoming of a chief executive.
Thousands witnessed the administer.
| ing of the oath and cheered the old
and new presidents, but the crowd
was only a fraction of the customary
| throngs
| On the Bible used by George Wash
ington at his first induction into of
| flee. and on verse OF scripture ex
tolling the virtues of an humble faith
in God, Mn. Harding plighted his best
ability to the presidency. The scrip
tural quotation was from Mica, sixth
chapter, eighth verse. as follows:
What doth, the Lord require Of
thee but to do justly and to love
mercy and to walk humbly with tn,
God?"
Thousands Head Address.
The Inauguration ceremony tool
place as usual on a stand erected
above the east steps of the capitol
but in marked contrast to previou.
inaugurations. when thousands o
seats We're provided. the company hat
to remain standing. Even the in
augural stand was much smaller ant
was erected to accommodate tele
phonic apparatus, which carried MI
Harding's voice so that for the frs
time thousands heard an Inaugural
address.
Patriotic decorations fluttered un
der a bright sun along Pennsylvania
avenue and the usual escort of cav
airy acted as a presidential guard o
honor in the ride to and from tn
capitol. The only semblance of
parade was presented by the littl
group of official motor cars and tn
| hollow square of troopers.
Before his own Inauguration bega
Mr.. Harding attended that of his vic
president, Calvin Coolidge, in the ser
: ate chamber.
3 1t was an hour past noon when tn
+ first of the inaugural company bega
9 to file out on the platform facing tn
J. east plaza, members Of the senat
d and house coming first, followed b
0 the foreign diplomats in dress un
form and, last of all, by the justice