The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-11
ACT DEVOID OF INCIDENT.
THE JOINT SESSION ENTIRELY
ROUTINE AND FORMAL In ITS
CHARACTER.
Only One Present OF the Fifteen Men
Who Comprised the Hayes-Tflden
Electoral Commission.

toral votes Of the forty-five states Of
the Union were formally counted at
the joint session of the house and SEN
ate held today for that purpose, and
Vice President Stevenson proclaimed
the election of Mckinley and Hobart
as president and vice president respec-
tivly Although the sky was overcast,
the weather was suspicious, and the
galleries Of the hall of representatives
were thronged. The general public be-
sieged the doors in vain, as but small
space was reserved for them. Ladies
were arrayed in gay toilettes and gave
touches of color to the brilliant set
ting Of the scene. Many distinguished
personages witnessed the count, among
them Ambassador Patenotre and Chan
cellor BOuve, of the French embassy;
Chat Chung, Of the Chinese legation;
Baron Won Thielman, Secretary Matsu,
of the Japanese legation; Viscount
Thyrso, of the Portuguese legation, and
Sir Richard Cartwright, Of the Canadi-
an government No member of Presi-
dent Clevelands family was present.
A Gordon Of blue-coated, brass-but-
toned police hedged about the senators
as they marched majestically over to
the house, preceded by Vice President
Stevenson and Mr.. Cox, secretary Of the
senate, with the returns locked in
cherry colored box This guarding Of
the returns was a precaution first taken
by Acting Vice President Ferry, Of
Michigan, twenty years ago during the
wild excitement attending the Tilden-
Hayes contest in anticipation of a pos
sibIe raid.
AS the house and senate sat in
joint session today and listened in
tently to the count, those stirring days
were recalled Of the fifteen men who
sat on the famous electoral commits
sion which decided that contest by
peaceful means, Senator Hoar, Of Mas
SachuSetts, was the only one present
today. The others, excepting Justice
Field, have all retired from public
life or have passed away. The vicissi-
tudes of political fortune in two short
decades have removed all but seven
teen of those who then sat at either end
of the capitol. Most of the seventeen
survivors were conspicuous today in
the joint asseEnblage. Two of them,
Senator Sherman, who is soon to be
called to the first place in the McKin-
ley cabinet, and Senator Morrill,, of
Vermont, author Of the war tariff, en-
tered public life together forty years
of Colorado, Gordon of Georgia, Ali
son Of Iowa, Cockrell of Missouri,
Mitchell of Oregon, and Senators Hale
and Frye, of Maine; Burrows of Mich
igan, Mills Of Texas. Blackburn of
Kentucky, and Elkins Il of West Vir-
ginia, who were then in the house.
Vice President Stevenson was also
member of the house at that time. Mr..
Cannon Oil, who lost one term) and
Mr.. Culbertson (of Texas alone sur
vived in the house the mutations Of
twenty years, although Mr.. Danford, Of
Ohio, who was a member of that con-
gress, is also a member Of the present
body.
JONES LOOKED ON.
Senator Jones (Ark) and Senator
Butler IN. CO. who managed the Dem
ocratic and Populistic campaigns, were
present, but did not appear to take a
deep interest in the count. Prominent
also in the sea of faces was white
haired Senator Palmer, of Illinois, who
headed the Gold Democratic ticket last
fall. The count itself was OF a very
formal character. Vice President
Stevenson sat at the side Of Speaker
Reed and presided over the joint ses-
sion. The returns were opened by the
vice president and annotinced by the
tellers. No demonstration occurred at
oily pOA1l the CCUfll, Out when
the vice president at its conclusion an
nounced the result there Twas a round
of applause, both on thei floor and in
the galleries. The totalsswere as fol-
lows: 80 d
For president, Mckinley, 271; Bryan,
176. For vice president, j Hobart, 271;
Sewall, 149; Watson, i27 s.
The announcement Of the state of the
vote today is the only notification the
president-elect and vice president-elect
will receive. No official communication
is sent to them. ~ II
The Minnesota delegation could have
used a hundred tickets, there were SO
many applicants. Mrs. Cushman K
Davis, Mrs. Knute Nelson and daugh-
ter, Mrs. James T. McCleary, Mrs. J.
H. HeatwOle, Miss Evelyn Kiefer Miss
Susie Fletcher and Mrs. Charles A
Towne were in the reserved galleries.
Other prominent Minnesotans In the
galleries were F. G. Kellogg, M H.
Dunnell B. @. Nelson, S. T. Mcknight
and G. A. Duncan. Senators Davis and
Nelson had participated in like ceremo-
MES before, the former at the election
of Harrison in 1889 and of Cleveland in
1898, and the latter at the first election
Of Cleveland in 1885, but no member of
the house delegation ever sat in joint
session prior to this time.
ON HAND EARLY.
AS is usual on state occasions. the
pubic streamed to the capitol in great
crowds, but the galleries of the house,
save Tor a small space capable of seat
Ing only zoo persons were strictly re-
served for tcket-holders, SO the stair
ways and elevators were be-
sleged in vain by the eager multi
tudes. The tickets had been distributed
by the senators and representatives,
ana the spectators consequently con-
stltuted most distinguished assem-
blage.
Although the ceremonies were not
to begin until 1 O'Clock. the galleries
were thrown open to the fortunate pos
SCISSORS Of tickets at 10 o'clock, and
within half an hour all the galleries ex-
cept those reserved for the diplomatic
corps and the president were packed
70 the doors, many ladies In gay toilets
being present.
The hall made q brilliant setting for
the Impressive scene. Above. through
stained glass. which filed the inter
stices OF the high fretted ceiling, shone
the escutcheons of the various states,
while the decorations Of gray and gold
relieved the dark space above the
densely crowded galleries. The crowds
In the galleries were In the best Of hui
NOR, as they waited for the ceremonies
to begin, while on the floor the men,
bers good naturally exchanged saluta-
tons. The democrats who four years
ago laughed at the expense Of their po-
l!tfcal adversaries today had the tables
turned upon them
Exactly at II o'clock, Speaker Reed,
clad In q long black frock coat. as
cended the rostrunl, and standing In
front of the bright American flag which
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