Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-02-18
ELECTORAL VOTES COUNTED
Cleveland and Stevenson Formally
Declared Elected.
Impressive Ceremonies In the Hous ,...T Tn ,
Wce-President Finds Majority for
the Democratic Nonin ses.-.A
Great Throng.

WASHINGTON, Feb. s.--An impressive
and instructive scene is being enacted
in the hall of the house of representa-
tives this afternoon. IL Is the counting
OF the votes of the electoral colleges in
accordance with section 4 of the act of
congress of 1887. Early this morning
Vice-President Morton and Private Sec
retary Chiffon unlocked the safe in the
private apartment of the vice-president
attached TO the senate chamber, and
took therefrom the two polished cherry
boxes in which the envelopes contain
ing the votes of the colleges were 10 be
placed. Then, one by one, he drew
forth the envelopes and handed them
to Captain Isaac Bassett, the 7l-year-
old assistant doorkeeper of the senate,
who deposited them in the boxes. by
the time this task had been completed
the members of the senate were in
their seats, and the venerable door
keeper bore the boxes in dignified state
into the senate chamber, and placed
them upon the desk to the right of the
presiding officer.
Precisely at Ave minutes TO o'clock
the senate stopped in the midst of its
proceedings, and. forming In a march,
Ing body moved toward the house of
representatives. Captain Bassett, with
box under each arm was in the CEN
ter. surrounded by the senator's and a
Gordon Of capital police in dress uni
form. Only two minutes were occu-
pied in crossing from the senate to- the
house. At the door Charles II. Turner,
the official door-keeper, was in waiting,
and, taking position at the head of
the procession he entered the house
and announced the arrival of the SEN
ate. Slowly and impressively the Dig
nified senators then entered the hall,
preceded by the sergeant-at-arms and
headed 10y ce-President Morton, arm
in arm with Secretary McCook.
The members and officers of the
house rose as the senate entered and
remained standing until Vice-President
Morton had mounted the SPEAKERS
platform and taken the chair vacated
for the moment by Speaker Crisp, the
latter taking chair on the vice-presi'
dents left
The senator's appropriated the space
at the right of the vice.presidcnt with
the members of the house Immediately
in their rear. The galleries were
crowded To overhowing with the fami-
lies and friends OF members of both
houses, and the large number of ladies
in handsome toilets gave the galleries
particularly brilliant ensemble. When
quiet had been secured, Captain Bas-
sett, with due formality and delibera-
tion, unlocked the boxes and deposited
them on the table mmediately in front
of the vice-president. The latter in a
few words rehearsed the act OF con-
gress under which they were proceed
ing, and then proceeded To open the
sealed certificates and hand them To
the tellers. At the outset he stated in
legal phraseology that II there was no
objection To the electoral vote of Ala
bama, the first state on the list. the
certificate from that state would be
read and its contents noted.
This course was pursued with each
and every one of the envelopes contain
Ing certificates, no objections being
raised TO any certificate. When the
lost envelope had been opened the
tellers tabulated the vote. and handed
to President Morton report embrac-
Ing the number of electoral votes TO
which each state Is entitled, the re-
.pective electoral votes east for presi-
dent and vice-president. and in addition
the total of votes received by the can
aidates of each party. Having scanned
this report through his glasses, Vice
President Morton proceeded To read il
with dcliberation of manner and clear
ness of tone, and then rising to his
feet, an example which was followed
by the immense audience. he formally
declared in an impressive manner that
Grover Cleveland, of New York, was
elected president of the United States,
and that Adlai +. Stevenson, of Illinois,
WAS elected vice-president of the United
States, each for the term beginning
March 4, 1898. and that the announce
nent was by law a sufficient declara-
lion of that fact, which, with the list
Of votes, he ordered should be entered
on the journals of the senate and
house. There was loud cheer from
the democrats in the audience, the
sice-president's gavcl fell, the senators
marched out as they had come in,
Speaker Crisp resumed his seat, and
| the ceremony was at an end.