The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-09

Q.
crowds were drawn to the Capital TODAY
oy the merely formal ceremonies in
c1dent to the Official counting of the
electoral vote. The brighs sunshl Inc and,
oraclng breezeswhich marked tie dav,
were boldly claimed as .Cle elandl
weather." and W sre sharp2y contrasted
With the dismal atmospheric surround
lngs' which have 10 unfortunately. az
comPanied nearly every one of H.rri-
sons public appearances, commencing
with drenching rain on his inaupura-
tion day, and even following him into
each OF his private duck Ennting ex-
petitions.
The ceremonies attending tho count
ing OF the vote are prescribed. by Joint
resolution reported by Senator Hoar in i.
iSSsH and which has been made applica-
Die to all the succeeding elections and ,
been Incorporated in o supplement- and
In the revised statutes. Vice President
Morton some days since appointed as
tellers on behalf OF the Senate for this
important ceremony Mr. Hale, of
Maine, and Mr.. Blackburn, of Kentucky.
Speaker Crisp appointed Judge Chapman,
OF Michigan, and Henry Cabot Lodge,
Senator elect from Massachusetts. as
tho House tellers.
Tho actual ceremonies were pearly
the same to-day as four years ago, with
q slight difference in the personnel
Thero was ceremonious opening of tho
safe in tho Vice.President's room and
taking cut the eighJy-eight sealed
packages supposed to represent the
votes of forty-four States as received
in duplicate by mail and messenger.
Ihere was the solemn procession in
OF ,f ola
who has participated in every Presi-
dential count for more than sixty years,
escorted by squad OF Capitol police to
prevent raid being made upon the
precious locked boxes containing the
votes.
The boxes having been safely de-
posted in the House tho Senate in a
body followed shortly before 10 o'clock.
Me oers OF tho upper chamber were, of
course, received by the House with be-
coming respect. The Vice. President
assembled the Speakers platform and
took his seat at tho right hand of
Speaker Crisp, the Senators ranging
themselves in places assigned to them
on the night OF the hall, and tue
Speaker sitting at the left CT the Vic,.
President, and in this manner the court
proceeded in the presence OF densely
packed galleries and a crowded floor.
Following the precedents observed
upon former occasions, unless demand
is made that the certificate be reported
in full, the tellers having ascertained
That the certificates are in due form and
properly aN then ticated, omitted the exec
utlVe certificate of asCertainment of
electors appointed and the preliminary
formal statement of tho proceedings Of
the college, and proceeded rapidly with
tho reading and ascertainment of the
result.
The Vice President having called the.
JOINT assembly to order, he proceeded
formally, to open ono OF the boxes in
which were contained the returns of the
electors OF the various States.
The first roturn-that of Alabama
was handed to Senator Hale, one of the
tellers, who in low, but distinct voice
read tho statement, showing that the
eleven totes of that State had been cast
for Cleveland and Stevenson
Then the certificates were presented
without formal reading, she tellers
merely stating the result. There was
the utmost dignity preserved until Teller
Blackburn announced that the State OF
illinois had cast twenty-four votes for.
Cleveland and Stevenson
Then few of the spectator broke
into applause which was promptly
checked by the Vice. President, who in
a few digRifed words called upon the
spectators not to disturb the decorum
which ought to characterize a great
national transaction which WAS now
proceeding in the presence of the great
| American people,
After the last certificate had been.
read and the result footed up, the Vice.
President made tho Gus ;Omsry an
nouneement that under the law this.
was . sufficient declaration that Grover
Cleveland, OF the State of Now York.
had boon elected President of the
| United States, and that Adlai L Steven
son had been elected Vice. President of
the United States, each for the term
beginning March 4, 1898, and that this
result would be entered together with
list OF the votes on the journals OF tn 9
Senate and House Of Representatives.
The joint session was then declared
dissolved. The Senate withdrew and
each house resumed business in ias own
| chamber.