Evening star., 1933-03-05

D
chairs comes to the edge Of the United
States Capitol Plaza Cnce in every four
wears There, just beyond vast in
aug,nation GssamblageS, 1t hCvers over
the gh-forgctten place where
Orange controversy broke the Old custom OF
holding the quadrenn.al ceremonies within
doors.
In essence the fact is that the President
elect like the Vice President-elect. would now
be taking the cath Of Office in the Senates
chamber had not Henry Cay possessed scme
very deflnite ideas about things behtting TO
dcmocracies Viewed in this light. the wrangie
into which that notable entered with group
of Senators in 1917 stands nowatmes as some
thing mere than a mere bit of history. Be-
cause of it, hundreds of thousands Of persons
have obtained opportunity to see men become
Presidents.
Mr.. Clay as Speaker of the House. was ap-
preached by q committee from the Senate
which was delegated to make arrangements for
the first Inauguration of James Monroe. Nov
ing With the stiff formality of the time. the
Senators came to ask for authority to use the
chamber of the House for the ceremony.
Maters progressed well enough at first.
Speaker Clay told his visitors he would have
the chamber put in order to serve the desired
purpose Holding fast to the letter OF pre-
yail;ng rules. however he declared he did not
feel authorized to surrender control OF the hall,
even for one day
At that time the Senate chamber fitted
with fine red chairs upholstered IN morocco
leather They made the Furnishings Of the hall
in which the House met seem almost homely by
contrast.
Mr. Clay had . rather deep feeling about
these chairs This feeling. which amounted TO
a conviction, was that the chairs were quite too
elegan: fo- use in legislative halls Of Nation
which had been fostered on a new continent
far removed from Europe's courtly displays
Rcd morocco leather, he probably ruminated,
was 4 fine match for the fripperies OF q Wis
count And in his eyes, carved mahogany was
permissible equipment for q hall where home
spun legislators from virgin timberlands would
never SCI foot.
Small wonder consequently. that the Sena-
tors hit touchy spot in the Clay makeup
when they proposed to bring their ornate chairs
into the chamber over which he exercised
authority.
The Senator's plan met with stoutly ex-
pressed no
TWENTY years passed before the epilOgue to
| Mr. Clays fat refusal was written into Of
fetal records Of the United States Government.
BY that time Mr.. Clay had become Senator
Clay and was occupying chair ON the Senate
fcor which substantially as ornate as those
ubon which he earlier had looked with disfavor.
Discussing authority of the Senate to con-
trCl arrangements for Van Buren's Inaugural
tion Senator Clay revealed details of the du-
dculty In which he had been central figure.
The Senate Committee Of 1917. he stated had
retired somewhat huffed" a result Of his
refu al to permit them, "in appearance, to do
away With the character of the House.
He tcld how the Senators had determined to
hold the Monroe ceremony out Of doors rather
than to be forced to sit on ordinary chairs in
the House chamber while the oath Of office was
administered by Chief Justice Marshall.
Only once before, when George Washington
first vas inducted into the Presidency at New
York had Chief Executive been inaugurated
in the open air. Hence all the other inaugura-
ticns had been witnessed only by such COM
para lively small numbers of persons as man.
aged to crowd INTO the chambers occupied by
the Senate and the House in those days.
From the distance Of several decades it seems
mes.urably Grange that anything but frown-
irg weather might have served to keep that
era's inaugurak from the view of the citizenry.
The Nations population had risen to more than
100000 persons and interest in govern
mental affairs certainly not at low ebb.
Transportation facilities. truly enough, were far
from what they were to be in later years this
condition was offset in some degree, however,
BY the somewhat inordinate fondness for cefe-
MoniaIs ana paradings which then prevailed
In short. the tenor of the times and the
temperament of the people both appeared to
have bcen out of gear with the policy OF in