Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1901 — THE PRESIDENT INAVGVRATED. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE PRESIDENT INAVGVRATED.

The Ceremonies at Washington

President McKinley took the oath of office at Washington Monday in the presence of a multitude gathered from all parts of the United States and foreign lands. It was the most brilliant inauguration ever witnessed at Washington. Simultaneously, Theodore Roosevelt “Of New York became vice president of the United States. The ceremony that marked the second assumption by President McKinley of the cares of state was most impressive, and full of suggestion of the development of the republic during the .past four years. While the parade was getting under

way the president led the cabinet members to the president’s room in the capitol building, where he was host -at the first function of his second term—a luncheon to his official family. Although strictly formal, this affair was very brief, as the president and cabinet were wanted to take their places in the line of the inaugural parade. Escorted by 28,000 troops, the governors of eleven states and a number of civic bodies, the president rode down Pennsylvania avenue for the second time as chief executive of the nation A Wonderful ParadeThe estimate of the size of the inaugural parade, as given out. at military headquarters, was 31,240, including: Military, volunteer and regular, 22,240; veteran organizations. 1,200; -civic societies, 7,800. General Francis Greene was grand marshal. It took four and a half hours for the parade to pass the reviewing stand. Every presidential inauguration in recent years has had its parade, always creditable in'size and variety, and usually having some distinctive feature. That which followed President McKinley Monday on his return from the capitol to the white house, and passed in review there before him, was different from all its predecessors in the majestic prdominance of the military feature. The civil contingent was quite up to the average in point of numbers; yet by actual count made by the marshals, the men in soldierly uniforms outnumbered the civilians In line by more than three to one. Many Notables In Parade.' In the serried ranks of blue were many soldiers who had carried, the country’s flag far out into the world, and had waged war which was all in the future when the last inaugural procession marched along Pennsylvania avenue. With these, younger veterans, and In the place of honor, as the president’s escort, marched another contingent made up entirely of soldiers of the civil War, all gray haired and showing in gait and bent forms marks of the passage of years and of the lingering effects of the great battles and campaigns of the most stupendous struggle that, the world has seen, and it was an easy prophecy to observe that never _again would they be able to make as brave and numerous a showing imtheir effort to escort a president on the occasion of his accession to office. At their head, to quicken their step, marched the Rough Rider band, suggestive of the extraordinary organization which marked one of the most inspiring chapters in the history of the volunteer armies of the United States. Trlbnte to Other Nation*. For the first time in a quarter of a century the president rode from the white house to the capitol without a successor beside him in his carriage.

Grant was the last of the presidents of the United States up to this time to occupy a similar position. On the return trip he had for companions in his carriage members of the committee specially chosen by congress to take charge of the inauguration, headed by Senator Mark Hanna, himself a national figure. The nations of the world, great and small, paid their tribute to the president in attendance at the ceremonies at the capitol and in reviewing the great parade. In addition to the splendid diplomatic representation, there was present for the first time the head of the government of our next-door

neighbor, the Dominion of Canada, in the person of Lord Minto, the imperial governor-general. American Tar* In Line. The American navy, which has so distinguished itself in the past four years, was represented in the ceremonies more numerously than ever before. Half a dozen warships, more

than have assembled in the Potomac since the days of the civil war, contributed, through their sailors and marines, one of the most unique and enjoyable features of the ceremony, marching over 1,000 strong along the street*. Down on the water-front lay moored the famous old flagship Hartford, inspiring stirring recollections of the fierce naval combats of the civil war;

while at the navy yard floated the grim double turreted monitor Puritan, symbolic of later day warfare. Further down the Potomac lay other vessels, unable to get up the river to Washington, but whose crews swelled the list of paraders. The states of the union rendered their homage to the president, and demonstrated that no party feeling dominated the great event, by the attendance of sixteen governors, representing north, south and west, moot of them accompanied by numerous staffs. McKinley Gives Luncheon. Mrs. McKinley was hostess at a luncheon similar to that given by the President. Fifty women, including all those known socially as the “cabinet ladies,” were ine guests. It was practically a complement of the luncheon given to their husbands at the same hour by/the president and, of course, carried out the same idea of being formal luncheon of the second administration. The guests, besides the wives and some of the daughters of the cabinet members, included the ladies of the diplomatic corps, and the occasion was fully as formal and at the same time memorable as the luncheon given by the president to his advisers. Senator Depew Entertains. Senator Depew and Miss Paulding entertained at dinner Sunday evening in honor of Vice-President Elect and Mrs. Roosevelt. The guests were Secretary and Mrs. Root, Senator and Mrs. Lodge, Senator and Mrs. Elkins, Major General the Hon. and Mrs. Eaton of London, Mrs. Sheridan, General and Mrs. Green, Mrs. Kernochan, Commander and Mrs. Cowles, Lady Cunard of London, Mrs. Paget, Miss Johnson, Frederic Harrison, Mr. Smalley of the London Times, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Cassatt, M. Van Alen, Senator Bacon, and Senator Daniel. Busy Scene In the Capital. At the Capitol Sunday business was in full blast, both houses being in session, and the crowd did not lose the opportunity of the novel sight of seeing the national legislators transacting business on the Sabbath. As all the other public buildings were closed all naturally turned their steps towards the building in which the senators and representatives perform their public duties. As a result the rotunda, lobbies, corridors and galleries were densely packed. It was an interesting and picturesque sight. Citizens and soldiers roamed about arm in arm taking in the sights. Handsome men draped in brilliant and bright uniforms were there. With them were beautiful women, attired in magnificent gowns, which cost enough to support for months the poorer ones who rubbed elbows with their more fortunate neighbors. There were privates and colonels with locked arms, studying the pictures portraying the great epochs in the country’s history, all unconscious of the criticism of the regular army officers, who object to the democratic manner in which the volunteer officers and men meet on a social level. Throughout the day and well into the night the soldiers and visitors paced the Capitol corridors. Soldier* Ran to * Fire. There was a fire on Fourteenth street about noon Sunday. Pennsylvania avenue was full of Pennsylvania soldiers. When the fire engines went up. the hill fully 500 soldiers chased after them. The solcfiers were from the country and are used to running to fires.

PRESIDENT M’KINLEY RETURNING FROM THE CAPITOL AFTER THE CEREMONIES.

A VIEW IN THE PENSION BUILDING DURING THE INAUGURAL BALL. BALL.

THE PRESIDENT REVIEWING THE GREAT MILITARY AND CIVIL PARADE.