The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-02-14
The Votes of the Electors of the Thirty-Eight
States Opened and Counted in Joint Con-
yention of the Senate and House.
The Forms of Law Complied with and
Harrison and Morton Declared Elected.
The EOuse Galleries Crowded with Visitors
Anxious to Witness the Preceding
The Administration Unrepresented.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-Benjamin Harri-
son, of Indiana, and Levi p. Morton, of
New York, were to-day formally elected,
respectively. President and vice-president
of the United States. The finishing touches
to this great Republican victory were given
by the joint session of the two houses of
Congress. in the hall of the House of Rep
resentative, before as large body of peo-
pie as it was possible to congregate there.
Admission to the galleries was obtained
only by the courtesy of members of one of
the two houses of Congress. The long
series of tiers of seats on the north side of
the hall of the House, usually occupied by
the colored population, were given upto
the white people, mostly women. In fact.
the gentler sex monopolized all of the seat
ing and standing room In every nook and
corner. The women and children of Sena-
tors and Representatives were located
around over the floor of the House.
back behind the curtains which
separate the members seats from the lobby
and cloak-rooms, and throughout the up
per galleries. A noticeable feature of the
attendance upon the proceedings was the
entire absence of any member of the White
House family or any of the Cabinet officers.
The front seat in the executive gallery, set
aside for Mrs. Cleveland, and which she
has so frequently occupied during the past
year, was vacant; the door-keepers were in
though every other available inch of space
was occupied, no one was in Mrs. Cleye-
lands seat during the afternoon.
There was brief morning hour in the
two houses when they took recess for the
joint convention. The House was a scene
of swiftly y-moving bodies and a roar Of
voices between 1890 and o'clock. At the
latter hour Speaker Carlisle announced the
time for the meeting of the two houses for
the purpose of counting the electoral votes
for President and Vice-president of the
United States. The Senate now appeared.
1t came in double file. Leading the column
were Sergeants-at-arms Canady and his
deputy, Mr.. Christy; Immediately be-
hind them walked the venerable
Bassett, Door-keeper of the Senate.
He carried in hand a walnut box.
about fourteen inches square. In this were
the precious documents which have been
under the combination lock of large safe
and the charge of special guards ever since
they were delivered by the messengers
from the various States. Behind Bassett
walked the two special policemen from the
Senate who have acted as guards of the
votes. Then came the Senators. arm in
arm, in double file, Mr.. ingalls,, President
pro temp0re of the Senate, in the lead.
Senator Ingalls, presided over the joint con-
ventiOn. As soon as he took the chair he
announced that the law of March, 1857.
which directed the counting of the cleo
torai votes, under which the joi9e conven-
tion of the two houses is held, would be OBJ
served. The law provided that the Senate
should sit on the right hand Democratic
side) of the presiding officer. Seats had
been vacated by the members nearest the
Speakers chair ON each side for the Senate,
and upon this announcement the Demo-
Gratis moved over to give place to their
superior legislators. ALI but Senators
Plumb, Paddock and Ransom were seated
on the Democratic side. The three named
were just opposite, on the Republican side.
Directly in front, and to the right of the
presiding officer. were two lounges. and on
these were seated Senators Morrill,, Hoar
Dawes and Sherman tall Republicans.
quartet of the Oldest men in the upper
body of Congress. Their combined
ages aggregate 2s1 years. On the next
lounge were Senators Blair. Payne, Gibson
and Coke one Republican and three Dem
ocrats. Ex-senator Ferry, of Michigan,
with his great flowing beard, came In with
Senator Wilson, of Iowa, and sat down
with the active statesmen. Ranged around
fnrcQc of of
both branches of Congress. There were
almost hundred of the little fellows, and
it was with some difficulty that their chat
ter was suppressed.
There was celebrity in every movement of
the proceedings. 1t was Just 1:02 o'clock
when Senator Ingalls, arose IN his seat, and.
striking the desk with the gavel, announced
the purpose of the joint convention in a
works escaped his lips when the roar of
voices had subsidized and there was
perfect stiffness. Senators Mander-
son, n of Nebraska. and Harris.
Baker, of New York, and Ermentrout, of
Pennsylvania, were seated in the chairs of
the reading clerks. These were the tellers
selected by the presiding officers of the two
houses to examine and read the votes
Senator Manderson took the first turn at
reading. He read the certificate for the
State of Alabama. Although he is a splen-
did reader. the long certificate became mo-
nOt0nOuS before 1t was nnally completed.
Then Senator Harris began to read the re-
turns from Arkansas. When the reading
from that State was about half through
Senator Edmunds strolled in alone, and "a
he walked down the central aisle attracted
considerable attention. This astute states
man was President pro tempore of the Senate
just four years ago, and presided at the
Joint convention of the two houses that
read the votes which elected Cleveland
and Hendricks. As soon as Senator Har-
ris had completed the reading for
Arkansas, Senator Edmunds arose and
asked unanimous consent that, instead of
reading the returns in full, the tellers be
permitted to make an examination. and
that wherever the returns were regular and
duly certified. the results should be an
nounced in a formal way There was no
objection, and the proceedings moved
twenty times faster than usual. Instead of
occupying about fifteen minutes in the
reading of a certificate of State, less than
minute was required. There were short
intervals of delay between the announce
ments, owing TO complications in the certi-
fications by State officers.
Ii required some originality on the part
of the teilers TO make announcement under
the new order of things. and there were
some iudicrous incidents in connection
therewith; for instance, when Senator Har-
ris took mp Indiana he announced that the
fifteen electoral votes of the State had been
cast for Grover Cleveland. As soon as the
words 'Grover Cleveland" escaped his lips
the House burst into d roar or laughter
Then the yenera ble Senator went back 10