Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-05

with many OF them necessarily
standing.
When all was ready in the cham
Der, President Coolidge, escorted by
tho committee on arrangements, was
shown into the chamber through the
main door, and to seat on the floor
at the right hand side of the center
aisle, and facing the rostrum, on
which Vice President ELECT Dawes
was Immediately escorted to a seat.
The Senate chaplain offered an APP
propriate prayer and Senator Cum
Minis, as president of the Senate,
called the assemblage to order, a 81
lence settled over the company as
Senator Cummins and the Vice.
President elect faced each other;
both raised their right hands, Sena-
tor Cummins read the Vice Presi-
dents oath, Mr.. Dawes repeated the
words as they were spoken, and as
the result of this brief ceremony the
country had vice-president for the
first time in 10 months.
The assemblage within the senate
chamber thereupon began moving in
order of precedence to the inaugural
stand outside. A connexions steel
canopy had been erected so that
President Coolidge could take the
oath Of office in full view Of the wait
ing thousands and not be compelled
to go through the exercises inside the
Capitol building, unless the weather
was unusually severe. Stretching
to the right and left of the President
as he faced the crowd, and at lower
level running from north to south,
were long rows of temporary benches
for the seating of the several thou
"A nd tn nj NJ
ceremony. Each senator and repre-
sentative had some seats at his dis
posal but none had enough for all the
demands made upon him. Imme-
diately in front of the Presidents
stand was the full Marine band, re-
Splendent in scarlet coats and gold
braided caps. The band occupied q
place formed as small hollow
square, and on the three sides. as far
back as the Congressional Library
to the east: the House Office building
to the south and the Senate office
building to the north, thousands
stood on the pavement of the spa
cious Plaza. or found places of van
tage on the fountains. monuments or
in trees. The inaugural party passed
through lane of Marines as it came
from the Capitol and entered the
L L
walking with Chief Justice Taft, the
members of the Congressional COM
mittee; Vice president Dawes and
his party and a small party of high
officials following. There was room
for 80 or 40 persons on the Presi-
dents stand.
The ceremony here too. was simple
and brief. President Coolidge. stand
ing bare headed with his right hand
appraised. faced the Chief Justice,
who read the oath Of Office prescrih-
ed by the Constitutions; President
Coolidge repeated the words slowly
as the Chief Justice pronounced
them. and then stopped and kissed
the Bible in the hand of Mr.. Taft.
Then he turned to the crowd, and.
as the roar of applause and cheering
died away. began the delivery of his
inaugural address.
Applying devices at the top Of
the Presidents stand made his words
clearly ami distinctly audible to the
edge of the crowd, an microphones
placed beofer him carried his voice
throughout the country and to some
distant parts of the world by radio.
At the conclusion of the Presidents
address, the Marine band struck up
n lively air: the president took his
place at the head of the inaugural
procession which was waiting in -or-
nation in the streets and avenues
converging at the Capitol, and led the
way back to the White House by way
of Pennsylvania avenue. Senators
filed back to the chamber to consider
executive business in extra session,
and the remainder of the party dis
banded.
When the head OF the inaugural
procession reached the White House
it halted for n moment while Pres
ident Coolidge. Mrs. Coolidge. Vice
President Dawes and Mrs. Dawes,
members of their immediate families
and a few guests including members
of the cabinet and ranking officers
of the Army, Navy and Marine corps.
and the Congressional committee con-
Quoting the arrangements, took
places in n small stand built over the
sidewalk from which they reviewed
the procession as 1t passed by.
The parade was less than an hour
in passing the stand, and at the con-
clusion of the review President Cool
idSe returned to his office and went
to work. Vice President Dawes
drove to his hotel apartments. plan
ming to go to his office in the Senate
tomorrow.
The Inauguration. ranking with
any Of its predecessors for economy,
for instead Of 100000 which the 10
cal committee planned to spend on
decorations and display, less than
$500 actually had been disbursed.