St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-02-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Electoral Vote and How 1t Is Officially
Declared.
Ceremony an interesting one-Boston to Re-
ceive a Benefit from River and Harbor
Bill Some Figures.
$50. cial to The cALnpoNIAN. }

rosing ceremonies every four years-one
in the month of February and one In the
month of March. The second one de-
bends on the first. The first is the cleo
tion of the President of the United States,
and his second one is his Inauguration
by virtue Of that election,
And so 1t was that this month William
Mckinley Of Ohio and G. A. Hobart Oh
New Jersey were formally eelected presl-
dent and vice president Of the United
States, respectively, and next month
will be duly inaugurated and installed
to their official functions.
The proceedings of the declaration OF
the result of the electoral count was the
elimination Of a series of events extend
ing over a speace of year all having
for their end the object accomplished
this week when Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.
Hobart were declared, in accordance
with law. duly elected president and vice
president.
The first of this series Of events oc-
CURED about ~ months ago, or less, when
In small communities throughout the
land. consisting of wards and voting
precincts in cities and of townships and
other divisions in the country, Repubi-
cans began to gather In public assem-
bly,. They discussed the choice of can
dldates for president and vice presl-
dent.
They selected men to attend the con-
yentions, to be held later, to express
their choice. Another set Of delegates
subsequently went into state conven-
lions and named men to represent their
constituents at q national convention,
which was to finally make the nominal
lions.
This proceeding was varied in some
states by holding district conventions
and the selection only of delegates-at-
large by the state conventions.
Months were required to accomplish
all this, and it was June before the will
of the Republicans at large announced
at their primary meetings found express
sion in the nomination Of Mckinley and
Hobart at st. Louis.
Then commenced another series OF
events. In each state set of officials
had been nominated, called presidential
electors. In order to accomplish the
election of Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.. Ho-
bart, according to the constitution, It
was necessary to elect these presidential
electors. This was done upon a fixed
day last November
Then. upon a specified date, all Of the
presidential electors met in their re-
spectiVe states and cast their votes for
president and vice presi lent This action
was certified to the president of the
United States senate, in sealed commu-
nications.
This week these communications were
opened In Washington In the presence
OF congress. and the votes counted. Only
this week, therefore, has 1t become off,
cially known who were elected president
and vice president last November.
The counting of the electoral vote, as
the final act in this drama Is called, nat.
urally attracts large number of people
to the Capitol building. 1t Is impossible
to provide seats in the galleries of the
house, In which chamber the cOunting
is done for all those who desire to wit
ness the ceremony, and two tickets OF
admission were issued to each senator
and representative. The holders of these.
together with 300 persons admitted tc
the public gallery, comprised the spec
tators of the act of counting the votes.
The hall made n brilliant setting 70,
the impressive scene. Above, through
stained glass, which filled the interstices
of the high fretted ceiling, shone the
escutcheOns of the various states, while
the decorations of gray and gold rNs
lieved the dark spaces above the denselS
crowded galleries.
The crowds in the galleries were In the
best of humor as they waited for the
ceremonies to begin, while ON the hom
the members good naturally exchanged
salutations, The Democrats, who fou,
years ago laughed at the expense of theil
political adversaries, had the table:
turned upon them.
Exactly at o'clock, Speaker Reed
clad in n long, black frock coat, which ht
seldom wears, except on august occa
sions assembled to the rostrum and
standing in front of the bright American
flag, which draped the wall in his rear
with one sharp rap of his gavel subdueC
the countless babel of voices.
Rev. II. n Couden, the blind chaplain
seemed impressed with the spirit Of tn
occasion, and delivered an inspiring
prayer, during which many of the spec
tators rose and stood with bowed heads
The time from 10 to was taken II
with transacting ordinary routine bust
ness of the house.
Shortly before o'clock the member
of the senate left their chamber, at tn
IL
across to the house, passing through tn
vast rotunda and the old hall of repre-
sentatives, now statuary hall, where tn
civic and martial heroes of the state
looked down upon the august process
sion.
Their approach was heralded by tn
entrance of Colonel r. j. Bright, tn
sergeant-at -arms of the senate, who an
, nuunced, "Thc Senate of the Unite
States" Then in solemn procession the
, filed In, preceded by Mr. Cox clerk Of III
senate, and Vice President Stevenson
and took their seats in the first fot
rows of seats on the Democratic side
the house at the right Of the speake
r The members of the house rose and +,
a NAMED standing while the senators too
S their places. The assistant of Mr.. &C
f carried the red cherry, steel-casped be
r. In which the returns of the As states r.
+. posed
4 Vive President Stevenson, who, /
i law, presided over the joint session, toe
Il his place by the side of Speaker Rec
n The tcllers Senators Lodge of Massachl
Il sets ana Senator blackburn of Kei
tutlfN IN hphulf nf the stuntp aud 70,
S gresham GrosNeuor of ohio and Coz
SIS gresham Richardson Of Tennessee,
d behalf of the house, assembled to Il