The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-14
M'KINLEY Got ALL
Kansas Ten Votes Cast For the
President.
A. w. Smith Will Be the Wash
ington Messenger.

The presidential electors of Kansas
went through with their formal function
Of casting the votes OF this state for
President William Mckinley and Vice
President Theodore Roosevelt at high
noon today. The ten electors met in the
Office of the secretary of state.
There was not a bit of trouble over
voting upon the highest offices of dig
nifty and honor within the gift Of the
nation, but the selection of a messenger
to carry the returns to Washington was
not accomplished without a struggle.
although the full force of the diplomatic
manouvers did not appear on the sur
face.
With becoming dignity and due gray
ity the electors set about their task.
They gathered in a circle about the
table Of the executive council. The
table is a ponderous piece of furniture,
in keeping with the weighty business
that was now being transacted above
and across 1t, Of heavy woods 1nia1d-
the work of skilled woodworkers who
took up something else as a, side line,
and were guests Of the state at Lansing
not long ago.
Half a dozen ladies had seats to one
side to see what an electoral college,
looked like when it was working on the
election of a president of the United
States. and another half dozen state
house attaches wandered in for the
The electors were A. W. Smith, O. F.
Ergenbright. I. F. Bradley, Matt Ed
monds, J. +. Parker, A. F. Johnson, G.
H Lamb c. G. Buckley, +. F. Bracken,
and J. Q. Thompson.
0. f. Ergenbright was chosen chair
man and G. H. Lamb was made secre-
tary.
Very formally the vote was cast Matt
Edmonds and L F. Bradley, the latter
the colored member from Kansas City,
took charge of the hat. Ten votes were
lot s1r
Mckinley, Of Ohio The hat went
around again. Ten votes were cast and
counted out for Vice President Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Of New York.
The chairman announced the results
in a measured tone and sonorous voice
fun of dignity.
Then came what should have been the
real scramble, but it also was s1detrack-
ed. The post Of messenger to carry one
copy of the returns to the president of
the senate in Washington was to be
filled The state pays the expenses Of
the messenger, making the junket very
Farmer Smith, who lost out for the
cover norship against Lewening, was the
favorite in the running and he was duly
tons. as likewise did Chairman Ergen-
bright and Mr. Bradley of Kansas city.
The coup that undid all the unsuccessful
candidates was a brilliant one. Ergen-
ting him in the chair. J. f. Parker NOM
mated Mr. Smith in a very complimentary
little speech and called for ballot
This was the unexpected. Bradley and
Lamb had made no arrangements to have
their names put in nomination, and con-
sequentIy Smith was the only apparent
candidate. He received nine votes out of
the ten when the hat was passed around.
The tenth was accounted for in the
words of the secretary. who announced:
mine votes cast for Smith and one for a
gentleman by the name of Lamb
The electoral college then adjourned and
completed the making out of its triplicate
returns later in the afternoon. One Ger
tificate goes to the president of the sem
ate by nail, another by messenger and
the third goes to the district federal
judge Judge Hook.