Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-22
ELECTORAL MESSENGERS
BRINGING THE VOTE TO WASH
lNGTON.
No Specific Compensation Provided Tor ny
Law-TheY Receive twenty-five Cents a
Mile for One Way.

Washington, Jan. 21.-Thc vice presi-
dent has received 10y mail the electoral
votes of all but four of the states of
the union, aud he has also received by
special messengers the certificates of
the electors of seventeen of the states.
The four remaining states Idaho, Wash
iugton. Mississippi and kunsas--have not
a. yet been heard from ia any way as
TO the votes OF their electors for presi-
dent and vice president of the United
Suites. Distinction given IN some com
Hiittee to the persons by the presidential
electors TO bring TO the national capital
the certificates of the votes of the elec-
Tors for president and vice president of
the United States has led 10 discussion
about the duties of such electoral mes
sengers and the allowances made to
them for the service rendered. Some
Interesting points are suggested by an
vtsugauon Oh this line.
Many erroneous ideas have been con-
veycd 10y misleading statements IN re-
latiun To the amount of money that Is
allowed for mileage 10 these messengers
TO this city, one of the three certificates
made by the electors in the states, who
deliver them tu the vice president OF
the United States.
There Is no good reason, however, for
0uy error or doubt upon this subject,
because the tucts aud details are quite
simple. and are given plainly and with
sufficient mmuteueSs i'm the general law.
In explicit terms the statNtes OF the
United States mention all OF the re-
quremcnts relative To the duties of the
presidential electors; preScrihes the man
nor OF their voting for president and
vice president; the kind and number of
certificates of their votes that shall be
mude aud signed 10y thcm how those GER
tihMtrs three in numherl shall be scaled.
endorsed aud disposed of. one TO be
delivered by the hand of a special mes
scnger To the president OF the senate &C
Washington another 10 be forwarded
by mail 10 the president of the senate,
and lhe third TO be delivered 10 the judge
of the district court; how the electors
shall. "by writing under their hand, OF
under the hands Of a majority Of them,
appoint "a person to take charge of and
deliver TO the president of the senate,
at the seat of the government one al
the certificates; the mileage TO which
such messenger shall be entitled; the for.
fixture inflicted upon any messenger for
neglect Of duty, etc, and also how the
house of congress la assembly, shall count
the votes of the electors of the states
The importance seemingly attached by
the lawmakers 70 the duties to be per
formed by these electoral messengers il
indicated by the penalty Imposed by tn,
Z
A person having accepted appointment
10 deliver the certificates Of the vOtel
Of electors 10 the president Of the sen
ate who shall neglect 60 perform the
service required of him, shall forfeit
| 81 coo
No specific compensation for services
Of the electoral messenger IS provided
! but the law allows 90 them 20 cents fol
very mile of the estimated dstanci
] travelled nv them over the most usua
road or route from the place of neetinl
/ of the state electors 20 the seat Of gov
ernment. Mileage Is allowed for one wa
4 onlynot both ways, or round trip a
/ has heon indicated in some Of the eT
rOeOus statements above alluded 10
The table Of distance" used in III
| government departments here BY whie
/ 10 determine the number of nliles he
tween this city and the capitals Of ID
several states h computed upon the short
| est routes.
u, 10. tohlaQlSsania vs. shinston STATE