The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-02-22
our WASHINGTON LErTER.
Co0nOny Of the Electoral Sote-He~
Tape Fuss and Feathers in
he wrong Mau-S uperannuated Gal
lanls and Boarding House Belies-Etc.

Editor Butte MlNEr:
Last "Wednesday, the second Wednesday in
February, the two houses of congress, as re-
quired by the constitution, met in joint con-
vention and assisted in the counting OF the
electoral votes for president and Vlce-presi-
dent. The joint convention met in the house
of representatives, where it has met ever
since 1909. The senate tried very hard to
have the convention assemble in the senate
chamber, but the house held to its traditions
of the past. Of course, you are aware that
for several weeks the electoral count question
was discussed, and at last it was left an open
question. That queerly constructed concern,
the constitution, says that the houses shall
meet in joint convention; that the vice-pres-
ident shall open the electoral votes, and that
"they shall then be counted" By whom ? is
what has agitated congress ever since 1877,
and there has been no solution yet. Every
congress has dircussed ii and every congress
has evaded it. The democratic caucus, the
other day, backed down from its position by
agreeing to pass Georaia or count it as a n.y.
potheticaI case. The electors of Georgia did
not meet at their state capital on the first
Wednesday in December, as require red, but
met later. Under a strict construction, her
vote is lost. Georgia did the same thing in
1868; Michigan did it in 1887, and Missouri
did it in 1920. Had the result of the election
depended upon the vote of a state, on either
of these four occasions, a revolution would
likely have been the result. 1t is hoped now
that congress will have the nerve, if it had
not the craftsmanship heretofore, to pass
some joint rule, constituting the constitution
one way or the other. The counting or not
counting of the vote of Georgia was evaded,
as on the other occasions, by announcing that
were the vote counted one candidate would
have received a certain vote; and if it were
not counted, he would have received less.
So, the vote of Georgia was not credited to
either Garfield or Hancock. 1t may as well
be given to Weaver, the grcenback aspirant,
as he did not carry a state.
THE DRAMATIC SPECTACLE.
At 'high noon," as they call it, the solemn
senators formed in procession and marched
arm in arm to the house, preceded by their
sergeant-at-arms, the doorkeeper, carrying the
two boxes of certificates, and the vice presi-
dent. The crowd was solemn looking
enough, as all seemed to feel that the eyes OF
the nation were on them. But the old gray
haired %doorkeeper stock the cake" He has
been doorkeeper for thirty years, and in the
employ of the senate for fifty years, and
thinks the government belongs to him. lie
has managed to keep in with both parties
and changes as fast as the exigencv of his po
sition demands. At the entry of the angus,
senators, the members of the Storage rose
until the statesmen were seated. The vice
president took a seat to the right of the speak
err and called the convention to order.
The senate had appointed two ~tellers, ant
the house had appointed two. The modu
operandi was about this way The s~ecretar,
took a vote from the box and handed it to the
vice-president, who broke the seal and hand
ed the paper to one of the ~tellers, using fol
lowing circumlocutionary language 81 oper
the package purporting to contain the certlf
cate of election Of the state of Alabama, anG
hand the certificate to be reported"
1t will be noticed that he did not com,
the vote, nor did he say that it was a vote, but
that it purported to be one. He passed on te
Arkansas, using more stilted language: "The
vote of the state of Alabama having been re,
corded by the ~te!lers, 1 open and land IL
them the certificate of election Of the state o
Arkansas"
The reading of the official documents wert
very tedious, and the entire count would havt
lasted five or six hours, but it was shortened
up to an hour and a halt by emitting tn,
mass of legal verbiage. Howe YER, as the IN
terest seemed to center on Georgia, it was de
manded that her certificate be read in full.
And this ended the theatrical exhibition
But after the convention had adjourned i
TRANSFERRED that the tellers had elected tn
wrong man. The tally list made by Hamlin
republican, of Maine, gave Vermont to Han
and omitted Louisiana entirely. Notwlth
standing the taking all these votes from Han
cock, the venerable senator footed up the tai
ly sheet in such a manner as to elect him b
thirty votes. This is set down as lightnin
addition. Senator Thurman, of Ohio, tn
venerable democratic leader, also made gres
plumbers in 'adding up" One of the CLERK
Strengthened out things for them.
1 cite all of the above at length to acquail
those at a distance of the routine and pom
posity of president making.
The above is the 23d "count in." Gener,
Garfield is the goth president. Sixteen wei
elected three came in by the death of til
president, and the incumbent came in throug
a compromising or electoral commission. {
these 10 presidents, seven have held the off
r two terms. 1t was generally thought by til
I outsiders that there would be a rousing seer