Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-02-07
To Count the Vote.

The law relating to the counting o.
the electoral votes cast for President
and Vice President requires Congress tc
be in session on the second Wednesday
of February following the election.
Congress will, accordingly, be in session
next Wednesday, and at 1855 the Sen.
ate will proceed in body to the Rep
resentatives' hall, where the count
will take place. The Senatorial pro-
cession will be headed by the Vice
President and the Secretary of the Sen
etc. arm in arm. The sergcant-at-arms
will precede the procession to see that
no obstacle interposes to block the way.
The electoral votes will be carried over
by Captain Bassett, who has participat-
ed in one capacity or another in the in
auguration of Harrison the elder, Polk,
Taylor, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln
twice, Grant 0wice), Hayes, Garfield,
Cleveland, Harrison the younger and
now Cleveland again.
As fast as Eice-President Morton re-
ceived the electoral votes of the various
States he placed them-unopened, of
course-in diminutive steel safe which
adorns his room at the Capitol and
which is guarded round about with
electric wires and alarms. When they
are removed from the safe they will be
placed in two handsome boxes made
of highly polished cherry 16 inches
long by II inches wide and deep. Cap
tain Bassett will be the personal GUS
todian of these boxes and will carry
them and their important contents
from the Senate chamber to the House.
He will be in the middle Of the process
sion surrounded by Senators and q COR
don of Capitol police in full dress uni
form. The march will occupy three
minutes.
When the Senators have arrived in
the Representatives Hall, Vice-Presi-
dent Morton will ascend the Speakers
platform and preside over the joint ses-
sion. The Speaker will occupy a seat
to the left Of the Vice-President. Cap
tain Bassett will unlock the boxes and
deposit them upon the Speakers table
in front of the Vice-P President. In the
language of the Constitution
"The President of the Senate shall,
in presence of the Senate and House of
Representatives, open all the certifi-
Gates, and the votes shall then be
counted
Vice President Morton, as President
of the Senate, will open the sealed Ger
tifcates of the States in alphabetical
order, beginning with Alabama, and
hand them to the tellers, two from each
house, stating at the same time that if
there be no objection to the vote Of the
particular State it will be counted. One
ofthe tellers will read the certificate of
the vote ofAlabama in full, giving ten
votes to Grover Cleveland of New
York for President and ten votes to
AdIai f. Stevenson of Illinois for Vice
President. If there be no objection
they will be counted. After that the
reading of the formal certificate of the
Executive of the State will be omitted
unless some one calls TO, it. If there
be no objection to the counting of any
Of the votes the result will be quickly
announced.
1t is expected that objection will be
made to the counting of certain votes
in California, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio
and Oregon. All objection must be
made in writing, and the two houses
separate to consider each objection as
it is made. After its deliberations the
Senate returns to the Representatives
Hall. Every step in the count is mi
nutely laid down in the law enacted
since the disputed election of 1857.
As there will be no dispute over this it
is not necessary to go into the details
of the law providing for contingencies
which will not this time arise.
In case more than one certificate or
paper purporting to be certificate is
received from State all the papers are
handed TO the tellers, who will read
that one only which is signed by the
electors and certified by the Governor
Of the State under the great seal
thereof.
When all the certificates have been
opened and read by the tellers,
they alternating among themselves as
to the order Of reading to suit their
own convenience, they will report the
result to the Vice President, who will
read their report, which will include a
statement of the number of electoral
votes cast for President and Vice Pres
ident, respectively, and the total of the
votes received by each of the candi.
dates voted on for every party. He
will then declare Grover Cleveland
elected President and Adlai E. Steven.
son elected Vice President for the term
beginning March 4, 1898, which decla
ration is under the law sufficient dec
laration ofthe fact. These proceedings
will then be entered upon the journals
OF the two houses. Then and only then
are Cleveland and Stevenson constitu-
tionally and legally elected and ready
to be inaugurated.
For Over Fifty Years.
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