The morning news., 1897-01-22
RECEIVING STATE RETURNS.
SPECIAL MESSENGERS ARRIVING
WITH THE ELECTORAL VOTES.

The Red Tape by Which Official
Count Is Renched-OnIy Few
More Days Left in Which States
May Make Their Returns-GeOrgin
Is Among the Tnrdy Ones-Thc
Youngest state Sends the Oldest
Messenger-HOw the Custom Origi-
mated of Sending Special Messen-
gers.
Washington, Jan. 21.-South Cardinals
electoral vote was formally delivered to
Vice President Stevenson to-day, by
Thomas Stanland of Charleston. The
votes of the various states are arriving at
the capitol every day, as the law requires
that they shall all be delivered to the
Vice President at Washington by next
Monday.
If it should happen that any of the votes
are missing on that day, it becomes the
duty of the Vice President to send a spe-
cial messenger to the delinquent state and
ascertain the cause of the delay, and pro-
cure certified copy of the returns. The
law provides that one copy of the vote
shall be forwarded to Washington by mail,
and duplicate copy delivered to the Vice
President in person, by a special messen-
ger designated by the state authorities.
Vice President Stevenson chatted very
Interestingly upon the subject to-day, just
after he had deposited the South Carolina
vote in the safe and turned the combina-
tion, which is known only to him and his
private secretary. He says mail copies
of the votes have been received from all
of the states, so that the official count
could proceed tomorrow if necessary. All
but sixteen Of the states have sent special
messengers to Washington. 1t is regard
ed as mark of distinction to be the bear
er of the electoral vote of state, conse-
quently the position is much sought after.
Upon referring to his list the Vice Pres
ident found that he is yet to receive the
messengers from the following sixteen
states: Alabama. Colorado, Georgia. Ida
no, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Ne
braska, North Dakota, oregon, South Da-
kota, Tennessee. Texas, Washington,
West Virginia and Wisconsin.
He expects all of these states to be heard
llOLl DtApAC 1hOhNoSS btSaASS NhO SNSANNee-
ry of the various commonwealths have
been notified that the period expires next
Monday. Besides they understand that
the bearer of the message is entitled to
mileage. which covers the ordinary ex-
penses of the trip to Washington.
Utah the youngest state in the union in
trusted it's vote to the oldest messenger
on record. He is "a years old and he seem
ed to derive great deal of pleasure from
the consideration shown him by the men,
bers of the Senate, to whom he was pre-
sented by Senator Cannon.
Vice President Stevenson says the count
will proceed at the time fixed by law even
if some of the messengers should fail to
arrive on time The law does not require
that the duplicate votes shall be received
one copy being sufficient to properly exc
cute the law. The practice of having the
vote forwarded to Washington by mail
and also by messenger originated in the
early days of the nation when railroad
travel was unknown and the postal facil-
tiles were not up to the standard of to-day
West Virginia, but a few miles away
should be tardy in sending in its returns.
The votes are received by the Vice Pres
ident, who turns the package over to his
private secretary. The latter records the
date of the arrival and the name of the
bearer, after which the package is depos-
tied in the safe to await the official count
on the 10th of next month.