St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-22
FOURTEEN STATES SHY.
Electoral Certificates Sent in n
= Slinshod Manner.

Electoral Certificates Sent in
- Slipshod Manner.
WASHINGTON. Jan. p. The certii-
Gates of ali the states of the votes cast
Tor president and vice president ought
To be in tine hands of the president of
the senate by Monday next. AS mat
ter of fact fourteen states have failed so
far TO comply with the law by sending
ON their electoral certificates by mes
sengers, ana many of those states which
have complied with the law have done so
in SO slipshOd a manner that II the late
election had been in any way close the
official ascertalnmeut of the result un-
der the constitution and the laws might
have been made almost impossible, and
The whole government might have been
thrown into chaos.
one of the first things to be noted is
that many of the messengers purpOrt-
Ing to bring on the action of the states
have come utterly unproyided with ere
dentjals. Kansas was one Of the most
conspicuous offenders III this respect.
The POpulist delegated to bring on the
vote of the state was presented to the
president OF the senate by Senator PET
fer, Congressman Jerry Simpson. and
one of his colleagues, who
VOuched for Him.
but their voucher, in the absence of the
slightest scrap of writing from the cleo
lural college. was not the kind Of
voucher that the treasury department
required in order to give him his mile
age and per diem for bringing on the
vote. As Senator PETER finally and sOr-
rowfulIy said: The only thing left for
us is to paw his way back to Kansas our
selves and trust 10 the state to Teim-
hurep MS" This is not the only case of
the kind.
Many of the packages brought by the
messengers have had nothing on the
outside to indicate their contents. Two
states sent their votes to the president
oft the United States" instead of the
"prpsident Of the senate" and Idaho
sent her vote to the secretary of state.
It was marvel of good luck that none
OF these packages we're torn open, and
thus rendered invalid. Many states have
failed to iudOTse on the package what it
contained. Some messengers have been
able 10 say that there was a sealed and
Endorsed package inside the outer en-
yelOpe In that case the president Of the
senate has opened the outer casing
and found q duly certified package
inside. In other cases the messengers
nave said they did net believe there
was any sealed inner package, and in
those instances the envelopes have
been put in the senate safe and left UNI
touched. They may contain the elect
oral vote or they may not. The presl-
dent of the senate has only the word of
the messengers to assure him that these
packages actually contain the votes of
The states as represented. Some one
might have changed packages on them.
Senator Henderson. OF Nebraska.
president pTO TEN. OF the senate, in the
absence from the city Of Vice President
Morton. is custodian of these electoral
certificates. He said this afternoon:
All of the states have transmitted
heir electoral votes by mail, and all
nave been received by the president of
he senate. The following states
nave not yet sent their elect
oral votes by messenger, at
least they have not yet been
received by the president of the senate:
Colorado. Connecticut. Florida, Georgia,
Indiana, Kentucky. Montana, North
Dakota. Oregon. Rhode Island, South
Dakota. Tennessee. Washington and
WiscOnsin-l4." Senator Henderson
advocates. before Q presidential election,
the issue of an authentic circular of in
structiOns addressed TO the electoral
colleges of the different states, so as to
avoid these periIOus mishaps. 1t is
understood that Vice President Morton
will be in his seat as president of the
senate Oh Monday next. the eyentful
Fourth Monday in January"