The Portland daily press., 1901-02-14

sight OF altogether. This whole matter
was qUeerly arranged, Ne viii ps seen
from the fact that 10 bad been the custom
from time immelnorial for the presiding
officer OF each body to select one OF the
two tellers from each leading party. 30
suspicious was Speaker Randall that
some undue advantage might be taken
through the medium OF the tellers that
he appointed two Democrats. Senator
Ferry OF Michigan, president pro tenn OF
the Senate. met this departure by . like
one, and appointed two Republican Sena-
tors. The outcome OF the fight and the
fact that President Hayes was allowed to
take his seat, grew out of the fact that
he gave pledge that he would withdraw
the Federal troops from the South In case
he was inaugurated. The Democrats
could have filibustered and beat the
commission. Throwing the election into
the House where the Democrats had a
majority, but they.were satisfied with the
promise and allowed Hayes to be seated.
The commission which was appoint cd
during this time only lasted for the sss-
sion, and since then the slectoral vote has
been canvassed under resolutions adopted
at each election.
This year the Senate adopted o concur
rent resolution detailing how the two
Houses should meet, and inserted in the
resolution this language. after detailing
how the tellers should be appointed and
he votes counted. It said. "that the re-
suit shall be delivered to the president OF
he Senate, who shall announce the state
OF the vote, and the persons elected to the
two Houses assembled, as aforesaid.
which shall be deemed declaration OF the
persons elected President and vice. presi.
dent OF the United States"
The committee on rules In the House
did not like part of this, and they
amended the resolution to read: "The
result Of the same shall be delivered to
the president Of the Senate, who shall
thsreupon announce the state Of the vote,
which announcement shall be deemed a
sufficient declaration Of the persons. If
any, elected President and vice-president
OF the United Statss.' This was only n
minor change apparently, but it took
away from the president OF the Senate
all power to declare the nsme OF the per-
sons elected, and would act as an eifec-
tnal bar to any false declaration and
make tha announcement of the vote the
official PRONUNCIATION of the election.
There Is a great deal of dignity in the
manner in which the two houses get to-
gether for this quadrennial event. The
House meets as usual. and at the ap.
pointed time the doorkeeper standing In
the middle aisle says, "Mr. Speaker"
the Speaker recognizes him, ami he an
nounces 'The president of the Senate and
the United States Senators 4" Preceded
by the ssrgeant-at-arms and secretary of
the Senate, the president OF the Senate
In pairs, the oldest in point of servics at
the head. They file to their places at the
right of the hall of the House, the presi-
dent Of the Ssnate ascends TO the Speak
er 8 desk, is rendered the gavel by the
Speaker OF the House, and calls the Joint
assembly to order. The teIlers take their
station, two Senators and Representa-.
tives, each equipped with big tally sheet
and pencil, aud on either side of the four
are the secretary OF the Senate and clerk
of the House. Everything iE then ready
for the count, and this is the way 1t
must be made. The president of tina
Senate opens the certificates In alphabeti-
cal order OF states, beginning with the
letter "A". The said teIlers having been
handed the certificates by the president
Of the Senate, reads them in the presence
of the two Houses and makes list OF the
votes as they appear from the certificates
To aid the tailers In their work they have
bssiGe them printed sneets showing Just
how the states have voted and the COM
parison of the figures has been gone over
In private. and everything checked up so
there is no chance for mistake. The
mere work of tabulating the vote is very
largely perfunctory, but 1t is the one
meeting OF the two Houses which is In
vested with the greatest dignity and So
Iemnity.
The exercises today were not different
from what they have been In recent years.
Senator Chandler announced the total
number of votes cast as s47, of which
william Mckinley of Ohio received for
President of the United States, s92;
William Jennings Bryan OF Nebraska,
1866, and of which Theodore Roosevelt of
New York, received for Vice President,
292; and Adlai Z. Stevenson of Illinois,
1866. Thereupon in accordance with the
Statute, Senator Frye pr oolaimed the
vote as delivered to him.
A tremendous outburst of applause
which swept over the galleries followed.
The Senate then, flied out OF the hall
and the ceremony was ended.
CAPT. BOUTELLE APPOINTED.