The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-09
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
MET WEDNESDAY TO CAST VOTES
FOR PRESIDENT AND NDVlcEPRESIDENT
The Form alities Observed--Three Copies
of Certifcates--Final Counting In Fres-
ence of Senate and House.

The Formalities Observed--Three Copies
of Certihcates--FInal Counting in Fres-
ence of Senate and House.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-The formal
election of a president OF the United
States took place today 1.-The littld fur.
ry on the third day of last month was
only getting ready for it.
According to the law the electors
chosen in the several States on that day
meet on the first Wednesday in De-
cember in the place fixed by the legis-
lature. In every State this is in the
State house at the capital. At this
meeting the electors give their votes
as they were instructed at the Novem-
ber election. If the State went for
Bryan, the electors vote for Bryan; if
for Mckinley, they vote for McKin-
ley. There is really nothing to pre-
vent the electors, or a part of them
from voting for some other candidate
than the one on whose ticket they ran.
But noanHh thing has ever happened
and pfa ~ never will. The politi.
cal and social ostracism that would
follow such treachery would be many
times worse than any punishment as
signed for similar conduct.
The votes this year will all be either
for Mckinley or for Bryan, as no 9th
er candidate received votes enough
anywhere to entitle him to an elector.
The result of the voting in each case
will be written out in triDlicate. One
copy will be mailed to Vice President
Stevenson, one copy will bs sent him
by special messenger and the third
will be delivered to the judge of the
district Federal court, where the cleo
tors assemble. To each copy will be
affixed lists of the electors prepared
under the State seal according to the
official returns.
The reason for taking three copies
is to prevent delay and loss by the pos,
sibility of one or more copies getting
lost. This happened in one case at
the election of Benjamin Harrison,
and it was necessary to get the copy
put in the hands of the district judge.
The messenger had got lost on his
way to Washington and the copy by
mail had disappeared. The messenger
had month within which to reach
the capitol here, but. as he had not
come, the president OF the senate sent
a special messenger for the third copy.
The messengers are we'll paid, too,
for this service, which makes it all the
more singular that one of them should
fail to come, especially when there is
heavy penalty for failure. The COM
pensation set by law is 25 cents for
each mile of travel "of the estimated
distance by the most usual road"
The Maryland messenger gets com
paratively little, but the man from
California receives a neat months sal,
ary, especially considering it does not
require much mora than two weeks
attention. The distance from San
Francisco by way of Omaha and Chi
cago is 1927 miles, and the pay is
little over $500. The man from Port
land, Ore, does even a little better. as
his travel is estimated at 3,3l0 miles.
The Minnesota messenger comes 1,254
miles, and receives over $500, while
the Illinois representative gets over
5000. Considering the time required,
none of the Western messengers are
underpaid in money, to say nothing
of the fun of q trip to Washington at
Inauguration time.
When they arrive, here the messen-
gers call on the president OF the senate
and deliver the returns in person. II
Vice President Stevenson happens not
to be in the city when the call is made
the messenger must wait till he comes.
If he is in the senate chamber, how
ever, he calls some one else to the
chair, goes into his room, receives the
sealed returns and gives his receipt.
He then places the package in little
iron safe that stands in one corner OF
his room. This does not appear to be
burglar proof mechanism, but it has
never been broken open in all the
years of its services. There is no in
ducement as another copy of the vote
could be obtained with little difficulty.
But the careless messengers's punish
ment-what is that2 He is to forfeit
$1,000. The law does not read that he
shall be fined not to exceed 81, 900, but
that he shall pay the whole sum, no
more, no less.
In case the vice president should be
absent from the capitol and no one else
authorized to receive the important
papers in his care he need not incur
the penalty for the secretary of state is
authorized to relieve him of his charge
The house and senate will canvass
the vote on the first Wednesday in
February. The smaller body will 60
over to the house side for the purpose
with Vice President Stevenson and
Secretary Cox, followed by Chief Page
Stewart, in the lead.
The page will bear two wooden
boxes strapped to his shoulders and
these contain the returns delivered to
the vice president. The members OF
the house will rise as the senators file
in two and two, and Vice President
Stevenson will take his place beside
Speaker Reed on the rostrum. The
two tellers for the senate will have
seats Just below and next in front OF
these will be the two house tellers.
The vice president will take the en-,
velopes handed him by the page in
alphabetical order of the State. The
tellers will read the certificates in
turn. The vote of Alabama lis usually
read in full, and then unanimous con
sent is granted that the remainder be
summarized.
A double tally of t he vote is Kept.
There can be no substantial effect from
any informalily, nor any objection
that may be raised at the counting