New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-09
COUNTING THE VOTE.
rvo NOISES OF CONGRESS ASCERTAIN
THE RESULT OF THE ELECTION.
r,,xn AND STEVENSON SECURE THEIR
FINAL TITLE TO oFFICE-AN UEo1GNIFIED
TREATMENT OF THE CEREMONY

TREATMENT OF THE CEREMONf
by THE HOUSE.
rny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1
Uasbiraton, Feb. S.-The two Houses or Con-
- met in joint session to-day, in accordance
:.h law. TO count the vote cast by the Electoral
C.unoe for President and Vice-Prcsident of the
1n;ted States for the term of four years. beginning
. March next. The count. as made. with all
'nG., formality and completeness, showed-which
uos NOT strictly news to any one-that of the 444
',.o,oral votes cast for President, Grover Cleve
,.rd of New-York, had received 277; Benjamin
Harrison. of Indiara, l45 and James b. Weaver,
:, Iova. 90 For Vice-Presidcnt, Adla f.
c,svcnson. of Illinois, had received 277 votes;
wb;telaw Reid, of New-YOrk, 145, and James G.
ryeld of Virginia, 90. The declaration by the
vice-President that Messrs. Cleveland and Steven
am had received majority of votes for the
.ro offices. which ended this quadrennial func-
,ou gave to the candidates of the Chicago Con-
r.ution definite and final title to the Presi-
lazy and -Presidency-a title which, though
,opferred for all practical purposes by the No
amber election. could by law be completed and
,.,ected only by to-days concurrent action Of the
,uo branches of Congress.
The ceremony of counting the vote and de-
o,srnr the result was accomplished quickly and
xrith
on hour to open, read and tabulate the reports
s.nt in BY the State electoral colleges and as
tbe totals had been footed up beforehand the an
MANAGEMENT of the state of the vote by the
tellers and the Vice president was made with
oil possible smoOthness and expedition. 1t was
10 be expected that political function of such
importance as the determination Of the Electoral
Colleres choice Of President and Vice President
would be conducted with the severest dignity
and formality on the part of both branches of
Congress. 1t must Ike said, however, that the
House of Representatives,, in whose hall the joint
session was held, fell far short of a proper APP
probation of the pr0prieties with which such
function should be surrounded. The members of the
popular branch proved both inattentive hosts and
undignifed actors in this afternoons ceremony.
Scant courtesy was shown the Senate in the
distribution and arrangement of seats, less than
fifty chairs being reserved for the members of
the "deliberative branch" although the full
complement of Senators is lightweight. Those
who came late Were obliged, consequently, TO find
accommodations as test they could; ard some got
nothing better than standingr behind the House
rail. The floor of the House, instead of being
occupied by the Representatives themselves, was
largely given over to the wives, daughters in
FAINT children ard female acquaintance Of the
members, who should, at least, have been kept
behind the House rail- or been assigned to the
comfortable seats in the galleries.
As hint of what the House might come to
under woman suffrage. the spectacle of free and
easy donestlcity furnished to-day may have been
interesting. But on occasion like the can
wasting of the electoral vote such spectacle
seemed little less than fragrant breach of Off
cal proprety-one of those "gaucheres" which
A. l,o1,
brought the dignity and character Of the popular
branch so hopelessly beneath that enjoyed by the
more precise and formal Senate. The unpar-
donable disposition of the House to turn the cere
mony into sort of family entertainment was
further shown in the applause which many men,
bers INDUCED in and encouraged on the reading
Of the votes from particular States. The Vice
President did his best to restrain this spirit but
his reproofs We're not accepted very seriously by
the offending members and their family circles.
IL was few minutes after o'clock when the
House doorkeeper anpounced the arrival of the
and the Senate. Mr. Morton
walked down the aisle with Secretary McCook. of
the Senate, followed by Captain Bassett. carry
ing, strapped over his shoulders, two wooden
boxes containing the certificates from the State
electoral colleges The Vice-Presdent mounted
the Speakers platform, and took chair at the
right of Judge Crisp. The two tellers on the
part Of tho Senate, Messrs. Hale and Blackburn,
occupied seats at the lower clock. Just beyond
them and below Speaker Crisp were the two
House tellers, Messrs. Lodge aud Chapman. About
mony, and they found themselves at once short
Of seats. Several had TO take camp chairs IN the
aisles, while friends of tho members sat uited
back In the comfortable office chairs which most
children were seated inside the House rail; beyond
IT twice as many more were standing crampeo
In between the rail AVID the lobby entrances
While fortune thus favored the fair, a. Justice
Of the Supreme Court was valnly struggling TOT
. sight of the Ceremony from the lobby door ana
Q distinguished President-maker, Don Mnnuel
the front only after the severest eXertion, nus
lowing whiskers dishcveled and his hair falling
over his forehead in conspicuous dlsarray. Inc
sss Of s O eso o
hundreds of applicants for admission had 10 oe
turned away
The proceedings Of the joint session followed
with exactnes, the order used in 1889, an order
arranged with great care by Senator Edmunds
and Others to secure the stIl"test compliance WIN
the existing statute. The Vice-Preslaent an,
opening the certificates sent oy the States. handed
them to the tcers TO be read in their Alphabetical
order. Senator Hale read the Alabama certiil-
unanimous consent. Each teller had twelve GER
afcates to handle, and they read by turns, first
Senator Hale, then Senator Blackburn, then Mr.;
thlpman ana t1en NJ LouSc 'He UHSi any
footing of the results were merely formal, as all
the addition had been done in advance. Finally
Senator Hale read the result of the vote and
handed il TO the Vice-Presdcnt. Mr.. Morton
reread 1t and pronounced it the oiIcia declaration
Of Congress Then he dissolved the joint session.
Speaker Crisp had sat silently by through the
whole ceremony According TO the form now in
USE no had officially no part in it from the be-
ginning to the end.
prvIvrSS IN THE SENATE
tod