Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-02-20
PRESIDENT HARRISON.
The Presidential Vote Counted I'm Con.
gress-Harriscn Declared Elected.

| ~ sCcuC ILLS mOTulHS. Lie galleries.
were filed an hour before noon by q
crowd of interested spectators who were
eager to witness the ceremonies attend.
ing the counting of the electoral vote.
The ladies were in large majority, and
| with their handsome costumes formed
a pretty frame to the Kaleidoscope
picture presented on the floor
below. The corridors in the rear of the
galleries were thronged with sightseers,
their tip toes, they could glance over
the shoulders of the more fortunate
| persons who had secured a foothold in
| the doorways. Many ladies were on the
| floor, pleading with members for passes
to the already OVERLOOKING galleries.
| Beside the Speakers chair was placed
one tor Senator ingalls,, who, as presid-
| ing officer OF the Senate, was to preside
over the joint assembly, and in the area
in front of the clerks desk were placed
number of richly upholstered chairs
and lounges for the accommodation of
the senators.
| At five minutes before l the legisla-
tive proceedings in the Senate were sus-
pended and the senators headed by Of
| ficers filed into the Chamber, SEN
ator ingalls, leaned on the arm of
Secretary McCook and Capt. Bas-
sett carried the box containing the
| returns from the electoral college. The
| representatives remained standing un-
| til the senators had taken the seats as
| signed them, and then Senator Ingalls,,
| seated on the right hand OF the speak
er, called the joint assembly to order.
Mr.. ingalls, then said: ''This being the
| day and the hour appointed for open
ing the certificates and counting the
votes of electors for president, the SEN
ate and House of Representatives have
met together pursuant to the constitu-
ton and the laws of the United States.
If there be no objection to the cleo
/ tOral vote of the state of Alabama,
the certificate will be read by
| the tellers, who will make 6 list of the
votes thereof"
| The presiding officer then broke the
seal of the certificate from Alabama and
| handed it to Senator Henderson, one of
| the tellers, who read the document, in
a clear voice.
It was in due form and showed that
| the ten electoral votes of Alabama had
been cast for Cleveland and Thurman.
The certificate gave in minute detail
the proceedings of the meeting of the
electors in Montgomery and contained
the ballots cast by each elector Tor pres
Ident and president. 1t was &C.
companied by statement from the
governor of Alabama certifying to the
election of the electors therein named.
Its reading consumed seventeen min
uteS.
The certificate from the state of
Arkansas vas handed to Senator Harris
and he read that portion of it which
certlties that the seven votes of that
state were cast for Cleveland and Thur
| man. "A laugh ran through the assem-
bly, when Senator Harris announced
| that "Jef Davis Zone of the electors)
gave one vote for Cleveland"
A smile ran over the assembly when
| by slip of the tongue Mr.. Ermentrout
announced that the electors of Florida
had cast four votes for Levi P. Morton
for president. The smile broad
moments afterwards, Senator Hurts, by
a similar error. gave the electoral vote
| of Indiana to Grover Cleveland. It
was some time before the laughter died
| out and ne was permitted to correct Ibis
error.
| Two certificates were received from
| Oregon. Both were handed to the tell
ers. After pause, Senator Henderson
said: ''The tellers have examined the
| different certificates presented to them,
and find but one in duplicate that is GER
| titled by the governor of the state of
| Oregon, over the great seal of that state.
1t seems to be in due form, and by it it
appears that Benjamin Harrison, of
Indiana, received three votes for presi-
dent and Levi P. Morton three votes
for vice-president." There was no OBJ
| lection to the vote being so counted.
So on, state after state, to the end of
the list, alphabetically. When the
opening of the certificates was
finished, and the tellers had COM
pleted their footings, President pro
tenn. ingalls, announced that Ben
jamin Harrison had received 233 cleo
toral votes and Grover Cleveland 1913
electoral votes for president, and that
Levi P. Morton had received 233 cleo
toral votes and Allen G.. Thurman 1913
electoral votes for vice-president. That
is all. He did not declare Benjamin
Harrison and Levi P. Morton elected.
The figures speak for themselves. In
the language Of the law governing the
canvass of the electoral votes, "the an
nouncement of the vote shall be deemed
sufficient declaration of the persons,
| if any, elected president and vice presi-
dent of the United States"
During the ceremony Senator Sawyer
was seated between Senators Colquitt,
of Georgia, and Reagan, of Texas.
Senator Spooner's seatmates were Sena-
tors Turpie, of Indiana, and Black burn,
of Kentucky. Congressman Clark has
returned and the entire Wisconsin dele
cation was on hand to see that there was
fair count.
The ceremonies, which were peculiar
| ly stiff and formal. being over, Mr.. In
| alls declared the joint convention adj
| burned. The senators then repaired to
their own chamber, and each house or
vention entered upon it's journal.
The last formality that makes Ben
jamin Harrison president of the United
States, save one, is over.
He now has only to lift his hand and
kiss the holy book that Melville Weston
Fuller holds to his lips on the 4th of
| March.