Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-10
COUNTING THE VOTE.
How Congress VIII Find Ont Who Has
Been Elected President.
The Returns Now Kept Under Lock and Key
The Ceremony That Will Take
Place Next Month.
Washington Star.


The greatest care is taken by
President pro tenn. Ingalls, that the
certificates of the electoral votes of
the several states that are placed IN his
keeping shall not be stolen or destroyed
On the second Wednesday of February
the last formal act in the election of
president and vice-president of the
United States occurs. At / o clock OH
i'll joint session and solemnly count the
votes as returned by the several states
The special messengers who bear the
certificates, under the great seals of
the states, have begun TO arrive
These certificates, showing the cleo
toral vote of each state, are made out
in triplicate, but those from which the
count is made are in the pos
session of the presiding officer of the
senate. He is responsible for their safe
keeping until they are counted. If they
were stolen or destroyed it would not in
validate Gen. Harrison g election, but it
might occasion some embarrassment if
anything was found to be wrong with
them when the count was made in the
packed galleries Mr. ingalls, is deter
mined that nothing shall happen to these
certificates while in his keeping The fact
that he has them-that they ale in exist
ence-is mentioned only in Il guarded
whisper. and the place of their keep
ing is
\ GREAT SECRET,
as profound a secret as the doings of an
executive session. 1t is vaguely under
stood that they are under strong lock
somewhere in the capitol building, but
the exact place of their concealment is
known TO but few.
Before the first state messenger arrived
with his precious charge Mr.. ingalls, had
purchased fire proof and burglar-proof
safe, which was taken, as secretly as
such bulky thing could be, to the room
in which he proposed to keep the certifi-
Gates. In this safe the certificates are
kept. No one knows the combination by
which the steel bolts may be thrown
back but Mr.. ingalls,. If he should die
or suddenly forget the combination the
services of safe-cracker would be re-
quired To facilitate the electoral count.
But all is not trusted to the strength of
the safe and the secret of its combination.
A special detail is made from the capitol
ponce force, the most trusted men being
selected to keep guard over the room.
Two men are selected for this duty and
one or the other of them is on watch at
the door of the room night and day.
No one handles these votes but Mr..
ingalls,, and he does not break the seal
until the two houses are assembled in
JOINT session to see him do it. Every
body knows that Gen. Harrison has been
elected president, and Mr.. Morton vice
president, but legally it is not known 10
congress until these votes have been
counted in their august presence.
THE COUNT
takes place IN the house At the an
pointed hour on the 18th of FEBRUARY the
senate win march to the house in body.
headed by President pro TEN. ingalls,
Just before this occurs Mr.. Ingalls, will
go TO his strong safe, think up the com
bination, turn the nickel-pIated knob
this way and that until it is set right
throw open the heavy door and
take out the sealed packets con
tanning the vote He will not hand
them over to 3 messenger or eye;s