PRESIDENT MCKINLEY INAUGURATED FOR SECOND TIME
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On March 4, 1901, President William McKinley was inaugurated for the second time. The President was sworn-in "at the east front of the Capitol" which was "packed with spectators."
The Evening Star reports the ceremonies were temporarily marred by "a gentle sprinkle" which "developed into a drenching downpour...with an occasional dash of sleet."
When the President stepped forward to take the oath of office, however, "the shower suddenly ceased."
The oath was administered by Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller*.
The President said in his second Inaugural Address...
"Fortunate as our condition is, its permanence can only be assured by sound business methods and strict economy."
Mr. McKinley also said something we probably would not hear a President say today...
"I should shrink from the duties this day assumed if I did not feel...I should have the cooperation of the wise and patriotic men of all parties..."
JFK+50 NOTE
William McKinley was a popular POTUS who led the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War. His second term was cut short less than six months after his 2nd inaugural when he was shot in Buffalo, NY. WM died on Sept 14, 1901. Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt, age 42, became the youngest president in U.S. History.
*Melville Weston Fuller (1833-1920) was born in Augusta, Maine & graduated from Bowdoin College. MWF served in the Illinois House of Representatives where he opposed the policies of Abraham Lincoln.
MWF served as Chief Justice of the USSC 1888-1910 & was known for his conservatism. He wrote major opinions on the federal income tax.
SOURCE
"Again Inaugurated," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1901, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
