Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-18
COUNTING THE VOTE.
How Congress VIII Find Out Who Has
Been Elected President.

IN MR. INGALLS, STRONG Box-rHE CRREMoNY
THAT WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT MoxTH-oRpEB
OF PROCEEDINGS AT THE JOINT SESSION.
The greatest care is taken BY President pro
tenn. ingalls, that the certificates of the cleo
toral 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 on that day the two houses Of Con-
gress meet in joint session and solemnly count
the votes as returned by the several states
The special messengers who bear the certif-
Gates, under the great seals Of the states, have
begun to arrive. These certificates, showing
the electoral vote Of each state, are made out
in triplicate, but those from which the
count is made are in the possession of the
presiding officer of the Senate. He is
responsible for their safe-keeping until they
are counted. If they should be stolen or
destroyed it would not invalidate General Har-
rison's election, but it might occasion some
embarrassment if anything was found to be
wrong with them when the count was made in
the presence of the crowded House and packed
galleries. Mr.. Ingalls, is determined that moth
ing shall happen to these certificates while in
his keeping. The fact that he has them-that
they are in existence-is mentioned only in a
guarded whisper, and the place Of their keep
ing is
A GREAT SECRET,
as profound secret as the doings of an execu-
tive session. 1t is vaguely understood that they
are under strong lock somewhere in the capitol
building, but the exact place Of their conceal
ment is known to but few.
Before the first state messenger arrived with
his precious charge Mr.. ingalls, had purchased
a hre-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 certificates. 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 for
get the combination the services of safe
cracker would be required 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 police
force, the most trusted men being selected to
keep guard over the room. Two men are Sc
iected 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. Everybody knows that General
Harrison has been elected President and Mr..
Morton Vice-President, but legally it is not
known to Congress until these votes have been
counted in their august presence.
THE COUNT
takes place in the House. At the appointed
hour on the 18th of February the Senate will
march to the House in a body, headed by
President pro tenn. Ingalls,. Just before this
occurs Mr.. ingalls, will go to his strong safe,
think up the combination, turn the nickel
plated knob this way and that until it is set
right, throw open the heavy door and take out
SpaIad nEafG ntotn hn ynfa Ha
will not hand them over to messenger or even
to the sergeant-at-arms to carry, but will tuck
the packets carefully under his ARM not part
ing with them until he has broken the seals
and the vote is laid before the House. After
the appointment of the electors is made and
certified to according to law, and their votes
are cast, as they were on the second Monday in
January, three certificates of the vote are
made. One is placed in the hands of the
court in the state, one is sent to tine
presiding officer OF the Senate by mail.
and one by special messenger. 1t is supposed
not to be likely that both the messenger and
the mail will fail in any one case, and the two
methods of transportation are adopted for Sc
curity. Still, if both should fail, new certifi-
Gates could be got from the state. The count
ing of the electoral vote is an interesting cere-
mony. A full quorum of each house may be
depended upon to be present during the count
The presiding officer of the Senate presides over
the joint session.
HOW THEY WILL sly.
By the solemn enactment of law it is de-
clared how the assemblage shall be seated.
Section seven Of the act declares: 'That at
such joint meeting of the two Houses seats
shall be provided as follows: For president of
the Senate, the Speakers chair; for the
Speaker; Immediately upon his left the Sena-
tors, in the body of the hall upon the right of
the presiding officer; for the Representatives
in the body OF the hall not provided for the
Senators; for the tellers, secretary of the SEN
ate and clerk Of the House of Representatives,
at the clerks desk; for the other officers of the
two houses, in front of the clerks desk and upon
each side of the Speakers platform"
There is no law as to the exact attitude in
which the members shall sit, but it is expected
to be more dignifed than that usually adopted
during the sessions of the House.
1t is a question whether the count would be
conducted legally if the seating should be Diff
ferent from that provided for. If the Speaker
should change his seat, or the clerk of the
House sit at the sergeant-at-arm's desk. it
might make the count irregular.
The members of the House must sit close to
make room. The wives of Senators and men,
bers are often admitted to the Hobbies and the
space back OF the members seats. The gale
ries and corridors are crowded with spectators.
The ceremony is conducted with the solemnitv
appropriate to such an important occasion in
the evolution of the peoples government 1t is
there declared who is to be the head of the
nation for four years succeeding the 4th of
March. Usually. as in the present instance,
this is but the formal announcement of what is
already a fact, but it might occur that objec-
ton would be made to certain returns which
would change the result Then, from merely
perfunctory ceremony, the occasion would be-
come one Of intense interest and suspense
The two houses would be called upon to de-
eide, perhaps, which of two men had been
elected. The Senators would withdraw to
their own end OF the capitol and the two
houses would meet separately to decide upon
the merits of the objections.
had majority of the electoral votes. the
House would be called upon to elect the Pres
ident and Vice-President of the United States
voting by states.
No such complications as these can arise un-
der the present circumstances. There is no
dispute as to General Harrison and Mr.. Nor
toms election. The formality will be gone
through with provided for by the act of
February 8, 1887, without contingency of OBJ
lection or doubt arising.
THE ORDER OF PROCEEDING.
The clauses providing the method of con-
Quoting the count at the joint session are as
follows:
THAT Congress shall be in session on the second
Wednesday in February succeeding every meeting of
tives shall in the hall Of the House Of Representa-
tves at the hour of O'Clock in the afternoon that
day. and the President of the Senate shall be their
pointed on the part of the Senate and the part
Of the House Of Representatives, to whom shall be
he dDy aee Of the
certificates Of the electoral which certificates
and papers shall be opened Presented and acted upon