Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12

tne bearer a receipt. printed In these nom
Vice Presidents Chamber Senate e. g..
WASHINGTON, January =, 1901.
Received of =. claiming to be a messen-
ger to deliver the same. a sealed package
purporttng to contain a certificate of the
votes given for President and Vice Presf-
dent of the United States by the electors
OF the state of -. alleged to have been
elected November 6. 1900.
(signed) WILLIAM P. FRYE,
President Pro Tempore United States Sem
ate.
For Safe Keeping.
Then Senator Frye will turn the packages
over to his private secretary Mr.. Wallace
H White, jr., who will carefully place
them. unopened and with the seals intact
in diminutive steel safe that adorns the
corner of the Vice Presidents chamber in
the Senate. This little safe is only three
feet high. but 1t is of the finest workman
ship and exquisitely finished. 1t is empty
today and stands directly underneath a
marble bust of Vice President Henry VIII
son OF MASSACHUSETTS,. who made the cham
Der famous by dying In it. But by the end
of next week its little shelves will feel the
weight of the precious votes. Only Presi-
dent Fro Tempore Frye and Private Sec
rotary White know the combination of the
safe. but as an additional safeguard against
burglary 1t will be rugged up next week
with electric wires. alarm bells and other
apparatus. so that the instant 1t may be
q
communicated to the armed watchmen
posted in the neighboring corridor. There
the votes and certificates will repose under
strict watch and ward until the 18th of
February.
The Electoral Count.
Before that time, and probably only
few days hence, some senator from the
committee on privileges and elections. prob
ably Senator Chandler of New Hampshire.
Its chairman, will offer a resolution couched
in these words. or something like them
THAT the two houses of Congress will
assemble in the hall of the House of Rep
resentatives on the 18th day of February.
1901, and at l O'Clock pm. pursuant to
the requirements of the Constitution and
laws relating to the election of President
and Vice President of the United States,
and the president pro tempore of the SEN
ate shall be the presiding officer: that two
persons be appointed telerS on the part OF
the Senate and two on the part OF
the House, to make a list of the votes
they shall be declared; that the result shall
be delivered to the president pro tempore
of the Senate, who shall announce the state
of the vote and the persons elected, which
shall be deemed a declaration of the per-
sons elected President and Vice President
of the United States; and, together with
list of the votes. be entered on the journals
of the two houses"
Such has been the form on like occasions
in recent years 1t will be promptly re-
ieTTeu 10 the committees, TepOTleu tutllCc
passed and sent to the House, where. after
similar action, it will be agreed to pro
forma- A few days later President Pro
Tempore Frye will appoint two tellers
from among the senators, one a republi-
can and the other a democrat, and in the
House " .)eaker Henderson will likewise ap-
poi~ two. The law governing the electoral
count provides that Congress shall be in
session the second Wednesday In Feb
ruary, succeeding the meeting of the cleo
toral colleges, and that the certificates. or
so many Of them as have been received.
shall then be opened and the votes count
ed, and the persons to fill the offices or
President and Vice President ascertaned
and declared, agreeably to the Constitu-
ton. This time, as before stated, the sec
ond Wednesday OF February falls on the
18th.
In Special Boxes.
Accordingly on the morning OF that not
able day President Pro Tempore Frye and
Private Secretary White will carefully I'M
lock the little safe In the Vice Presidents
chamber, remove the precious packages
therefrom and hand them over to the ser
geant-at-arms of the Senate Daniel Moore
Ransdell Of Indiana. Until four years ago
and ever since the Inauguration OF Pres,-
dent Martin Van Buren, the votes on such
state occasions were received by old capt
Isaac Bassett, the whitebearded and VEN
cradle assistant doorkeeper of the Senate
who in former times used to turn back the
hanlS OF the SENATE ClOCh Will SuSh 81
preme dignity and decorum on the Attn OF
March, before the swearing-in ceremony
began. When Sergeant t-Arms Hansdei
receives the packages from the hands OF
the president pro tempore and MS private
secretary he will deposit them in two plain
wooden boxes made expressly to receive
them.
These boxes play an important part In the
electoral count ceremonies. Each OF them
measures sixteen inches long. twelve inches
wide and twelve inches deep, and Is con.
;tructed of highly polished rosewood and
lifted with strong locks. but without orna-
ment. Their sole use Is as receptacles In
which to carry the votes from the electoral
safe in the Vice Presidents chamber to the
hall of the House of Representatives, on the
occasion Of the electoral count. pair OF
similar boxes formed one of the centers OF
interest In the memorable electoral struggle
of 1877 between Hayes and Tilden. when
Michigan had to sleep with them in order
to insure the integrity Of their contents. as
the fight wore on from week 10 week IN
olden times. up until 1913. only one pox
was needed there being fewer states then
and consequently fewer electoral votes; but
two are needed now. since one box big
enough to hold all the packages OF votes
would be unhandy to carry
Carpenter X. r. Zimmerman OF the Sen
ate official stan made new pair of boxes
for the Garfield-Hancock count another
new pair for the Cleveiand-Blaine count
and still another pair for the Cleveland
Harrison count. The Cleveland Blaine
boxes did service In the Harrison Cleveland
count twelve years ago, but the late Sena-
tor ingalls,, who was then President pro
tempore of the Senate and acted as presid-
ing officer Of the joint assembly. walked off
with lem to Kansas as personal souvenirs,
thus necessitatng the making of new
pair Since then new pair has been pre-
pared for each new count. and the beauti-
full new pair just finished by the official
carpenter, Zimmerman. Is now hidden in a
secret crypt under the basement floor of
the Senate.
Carried in State.
In these boxes Sergea nt-at-Arms Rams
dell will stow the sealed votes and carry
them In state into the Senate chamber
shortly after the hour OF noon on February
49, At 1855 o'clock precisely the Senate
will pause in the midst Of its proceedings.
whether grave or gay. the may be,
and, forming In marching body, will move
ma1esticaly toward the hall of the House
of Representatives. Sergeant-at-Arms
Ransdell with one of the boxes under each
arm, will be in the center Of the phalanx,
surrounded by grave and reverend Senators
and a Gordon Of the crack Capitol police in
full dress uniform. 1t takes just three min
utes for senator's. at their characteristic
pace, to walk from the Senate chamber to
the hall OF the House. At precisely 12:5S
therefore, Doorkeeper W. ]. Glenn Of the
House will announce the arrival of the
Senate That august and imposing body