Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-02-08
FROM WASHINGTON.
CORRESPONDENCE OF the Alexandria Gazette.1
WASHINGTON. Feb. S, 1898.


Immense crowds were drawn TO the
Capitol to-day by the merely lorna,
ceremonies incident to the ohiciai
counting of the electoral vote. 1t was
an undress rehearsal of inauguration.
The bright sunshine and tonic, bracln9
breezes which marked the day were
boldly claimed as cleveland weather,
and were sharply contrasted with the
dismal atmospheric surroundings which
have so unfortunately accompanied
nearly every one of Mr.. Harnson's
public appearances, commencing with
the drenching rain on his inauguration
day, and even following him into each
of his private duck-hunting eXpedl-
tions. Inauguration visitors are al
ready flocking into the city, and the
stands on the streets on the line of the
proposed procession are in course oil
erection. So to-day was made the oc-
casion of the first public demonstration
and it was q most successful one In
point of numbers and enthusiasm,
though there was little in the actual
proceedings to call out any excitement
The ceremonies attending the count ting
OF the vote are prescribed by the re-
yised statutes. They provide that the
two Houses of Congress shall assemoie
in the hall of the House of Representa-
tives lon certain Wednesday in Feb
ruarv. which this year falls on the oth,
Mt O'Clock in the afternoon,
and the President of the Senate shall
he the presiding officer that two per-
sons be appointed tellers on the part OF
the Senate and two on the part of the
House Of Representatives to make list
of the votes as they shall be declared 4;
that the result shall be delivered to the
President of the Senate, who shall an
nounce the state of the vote and the
persons elected, to the two Houses as
sembled. as aforesaid, which shall be
deemed declaration Of the persons
elected President and Vice-President OF
the United States, and, together with
a list OF votes, be entered on the jour
mails OF the two houses. Nice-President
Morton some days since appointed as
telers on behalf of the Senate for this
important ceremony, Mr.. Hale. OF
Maine, and Mr.. Blackburn, of Ken
lucky. Speaker Crisp appointed Judge
Chapman of Michigan, and Henry Cabot
Lodge as the House tellcrs. The ac-
tual ceremonies were nearly the same
to-day rs four years ago, with slight
difference in personnel. There was the
cercmonious opening of the safe in the
Vice-Presidents room and the taking
out OF the IS sealed packages supposed
to represent the votes of the II
States, as received in duplicate
BY mail and messengers; there was the
procession of old Capt. Bassett, who
has participated in every Presidential
count for more than GO years, escorted
by Il squad OF Capitol police to prevent
a raid being made upon the locked
boxes containing the votes. This was a
precaulion originating in the fears OF
acting Vice President Ferry in the
troublous times Of the disputed count in
1877, and it has been since kept up.
The boxes (Which, by the way, were
this year entirely new, their predeces-
sors in the service having been carried
away by ex-president pro TEN. ingalls,,
as mementoes) having been safely de-
posted in the House, the Senate, in a
body, followed shortly before l o'clock.
The members of the upper chamber
were of course received by the House
With becoming respect. The Vice Pres
ident assembled the Speakers platform
and took his seat ut the right hand OF
speaker Crisp, the Senators ranging
themselves in the places assigned to
them ON the right OF the hall, and the
Speaker sitting at the left hand OF the
Vice President, and in this manner the
count proceeded in the presence OF
denselv packed galleries and q
crowded floor. The tellers then pro-
ceeded rapidly with the reading
and asccrtaiument of the result.
Alter the last certificate had been read
and the results footed up, the Vice
| President made the announcement that
under the law this was a sufficient dec
laraiion that Grover Cleveland of the
State of New York was elected Presi-
dent of the United States, and that
Adlai E. Stevenson was elected Vice
President of the United States, each for
the term beginning March 4th, 1893,
and that this result would be entered
together with q list of the votes on the
journals of the Senate and House OF
Representatives. The joint session
was then dissolved, the Senate with
drew, and each House resumed bust
ness in its own chamber. There was
the utmost decorum preserved until
teller Blackburn announced that the
State Of Illinois had cast "a votes for
Cleveland and Stevenson. Then few
of the spectators broke into applause,
which was promptly checked by the
Nice-P President, who. in a few dlgniiied
words called upon the spectators not to
disturb the decorum which ought to
characterize the great national transac-
ton which was now proceeding in the
presence of the great American people.
The electoral count was completed
and announced almost without Incl
dent. The entire ceremony did not &C.
cupy more. than an hour, and there
was not the slightest hitch in the pro
ceedings. Grover Cleveland and Adlai
f. Stevenson were declared respective
" President-elect and Vice President
elect: and then the Senate returned to
its chamber. The totals announced
by the Vice President were: Cleveland
and Stevenson 277; Harrison and Reid
l45; Weaver and Field %.
Quarantine having been raised
against the White House on account Of
the illness of Marthena Harrison, the
President to-day resumed the after
noon public receptions, which were
suspended because of the death of Mrs.
Harrison. About two hundred people