The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-25
ELECTING THE PRESIDENT.
FORMALlTlES TO BE OBSERVED IN
CANVASSING THE VOTE.

Messengers Got Good Pay-Three Sets o.
Returns Made-What Would Happen /
Mckinley was to Die Before December /"
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1S.-How many
people are there in California anc
Oregon who would be willing to takt
a trip across the country for $500
That is what the electoral messengers
from those States will receive fol
bringing the votes for William Nc
Kinley to Washington.
The electors chosen in the different
States will meet on the first Wednes
day in December, according to the
law, in the place provided by the
Legislature of each State. In every
case this is the State Capitol. At this
meeting the electors will give their
votes for Mckinley or Bryan-no
other of the candidates having receiv,
ed enough votes in any State to entl,
tie them to consideration. The result
of the vote will then be made out in
triplicate. One copy will be sent to
the President of the Senate by mail
one copy will be sent to him by mes
senger, and ore copy will be delivered
to the Judge of the district in which
the electors assemble. To these copies
will be annexed lists Of the electors
prepared by the Executive of each
State, according to the official returns.
The reason for taking three copies
of the vote of the electors is the posi-
bility that one or two may 60 astray,
and the precaution has been found
wise in more than one instance. At
the time of Mr.. Harrison's election it
was necessary to send to the District
Judge to obtain the vote of one of the
States, the messenger having gone as.
tray somewhere and the vote by mail
having been lost in transit.
The messengers have one month in
which to reach the Capitol. If they
have not arrived by the first Wendes'
day in January, and if the postal re-
turn has not been received by that
time, the President of the Senate sends
a special messenger to get the returns
from the District Judge.
For performing the service of car
rylng the returns safely to Washing
ton the messengers are allowed by
law 25 cents for each mile ''of the es-
timated distance by the most usual
road.n The distance from Annapolis
is short and the messenger of Mary
land will not be overpaid for his labor,
but the distance from San Francisco,
by way of Omaha and Chicago, is
1927 miles, and the California mes
senger therefore will receive more
than $500 for his journey. The dist
ance from Portland, Oregon, is 3,31O
miles, and the messenger from Oregon
will receive about $50 more than the
messenger from California. The mes.
senger from Minnesota will receive
pay for only 1854 miles, or about $500.
He can perform the service in three
or four days at the most; so you will
see he is not ill.paid.
The messenger from Illinois will re-
ceive more than 5000.
When these messengers reach Wash
ington they will call on the President
of the Senate and deliver the returns
to him in person. If one of them ar
rives on day when the Vice Presi'
dent is not at the Capitol he will have
to wait. Ifthe Vice President is presid-
ing over the Senate when the messen
ger arrives he will be called out. The
Vice President will receive each of the
returns sealed, and will give receipt
for it. Then he will place the envelope,
still sealed, in a little iron safe which
stands in one corner of the Vice Presl-
dents room. It has stood there for a
great many years and is not a very
modern safe; but there is no induce
ment for anyone to break into it. If
the original returns should be stolen
it would be easy enough to obtain the
duplicates.
There is a reverse side to the joyful
occupation of electoral messenger.
The messenger who fails to perform
the duty for which he has been chosen
and does not deliver the vote entrusted
to him shall forfeit the sum of one
thousand dollars" according to the
statute. He is not to pay fine in a
sum mot to exceed one thousand dol.
lars;" but it is imperative he be fined
the whole amount.
There is provision to protect the
messengers in case the Vice President
should be absent from Washington.
In that event the messenee er may de-
liver the vote to the Secretary OF State
who will give receipt for it.
A great many persons no doubt are
puzzled to know what would happen
if Major Mckinley should die before
the electoral vote was cast, on the first
Wednesday in December. That nap
pened in the case of Horace Greeley in
1872. He died before the electors met
and all of those who had been chosen
on his ticket, with the exception of
three from Georgia, voted for whom
soever they pleased. The three cast
their votes for Mr.. Greeley, but when
the votes were canvassed by Congress
it was determined not to count the
three votes for Mr.. Greeley. If Ma
ior Mckinley should die it is quite like
Iy the votes of the electors would be
cast for Mr.. Hobart, butt is possible
that they would be scattered, and in
that way the election would be thrown
into the House ef Representatives. In
such a case there is no knowing who
would be President.
The House and Senate will canvass
the votes of the electors on the first
Wednesday in February. The Senate
will 60 over to the House of Represen-
tatives in a body, headed by Vice Pres
dent Stevenson and Secretary Cox, fol-
lowed by Chief Page Stewart, over
whose shoulders will ha hung bY q