The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-19
Simple Method Of
the Election of
An American President

certificates would not be read at length,
but Mr.. Chandler evidently misunderstood
him and repeated the long lingo of legal
pnraseOlOgy which was used to axe
known the fact that the electors O. Ala
bama had met and convened, and
wherefore and whereas and consequently
mad cast eleven votes for William J. Bry-
an for president of the United States and
eleven for AdlaF +. Stevenson for vice
president. The people on the floor 5es5n
to get nervous with apprehension nat
the certificates for foTty-Ilve states would
be read at length an the same manner,
and when Mr. Caffery arose and began
that of Arkansas, Senator COckreu inter
rupted him and remarked:
MIR. President, can't we have the re-
suit announced without reading all the
certificates? 1 think we can trust the
The venerable Senator Pettus shook his
head.
E, q .
The presiding officer stated that the
! reading of the other certificates could be
omitted by unanimous consent. but there
were reasons why that from Arkansas
should be read and when Senator CAT
! fiery resumed we found that there was
/ an irregularity owing to the absence of
! one of the electors and the appointment
! OF a proxy by the governor. If Senator
/ hoar had been present he would have en-
4 tered an objection to the admission of the
l vote. but he went down to New England
/ 70 deliver a speech on LincOlns birthday.
| Mr.. Bailey, who is the self-appOinted Gus
/ tOdtan OF the constitution on the house
I size, ala not protest because it was a
/
! passed over without remark. and after
( that none Of the certificates was read.
q - .
The California vote came in a gold cas-
/ ket which had been presented to Presi-
/ dent Mckinley, and the joint session only
/ saw the paper documents. The COnnecti-
cut certificate was incIosed in a hand
some Russian leather portfolio Some of
/ the certificates frCm other states were
printed like briefs for the supreme court.
Others were written on parchment, like
/ a college diploma. but the majority We're
/ recorded with typewriter upon ordinary
! legal-cap paper.
| General GrOsvenor made a funny break
/ which caused shout when he announced
/ that the electors Of Colorado cast four
votes for William ]. Bryan for president
! OF the United States and four for TheO-
( dore Roosevelt for vice president. The
/ mouse enjoyed 1t and the sOlemnity of
I the proceedings was disturbed for several
/ minutes. The next time GrOsvenor arose
/ III his turn he was greeted with laughter
and when he read the returns correctly
( he was cheered.
! The different teIlers each had a differ
/ ent way of announcing. Mr.. Caffery was
short, sharp and decisive. He said Del
! aware casts three votes for William Nc
! AInIey IoF president and three votes for
Ineodore Roosevelt for vice president"
! senator Chandler said; The person
| named in the following list received the
number of votes set opposite his name
| for president of the United States to-
I wit. William Mckinley, 10 votes: and the
I person named in the following list re-
/ ceiVed the number of votes set opposite
his name for vice president of the United
States, tO-wit: Theodore Roosevelt 10
votes Mr.. Richardson said: The state
OF ltah casts three votes for William
Mrt>lnIey Tor president Of the United
States and three votes for Theodore
Roosevelt for vice president OF the Cnited
States, and General GrOsvenor used a
similar form OF announcement 1t was
Rae hardSOns turn to read when the vote
OF CATO was handed down, but he politely
passed IT over 10 General GTosvenOr,
@ 9 g
Senator Alien, who occupied the most
conspicuous place in the whole assembly.
went to sleep as soon as he dropped into
EiS chair and SnOTed so loud that ne at
tTacted 6VerybOdys attention Senator
-Turley, who sat next him. labbed him in
the ribs with his elbow two or three times
but did no good. Allen would wake up.
look AZ Ou-d Tor an instant n a beW lIeTed
sort OF way and then-his chin would drop
back on MS breast again. When Nebras-
ka was reached in the count the assistant
serSeant-at-arms of the senate went down
and shook him so that he could hear the
announcement from his own state. But
ne didn { remain awake long enough to
near RepuDHcanS clap their hands Wh5n
It was CTs dItcd to l1crA II Y. A Lite later
d page woke nm up TO give MIN teie-
gram. He tore the envelope open with
clumsy fingers and was asleep before he
Senator Jones of Arkansas talked ear
neStly with Senator Teller during the en-
tire proceedings and used a good many
gestures. Ills manner suggested mat re
was explaining the causes of McKinleys
election, Mr.. Teller listened without
Before the count was half over inter
est was exhausted. Very few people paid
attention to what was going on, and the
members and senators wandered out into
the corridors ana clOakroOms by groups
At the close of the ceremony twO-thirds
OF the seats We're vacant
q g
Mr.. Chandler added up the columns Of
! figures, then the teIers all signed four
tally sheets and passed them up for the
signatures of Mr. Frye and Mr. Hender-
son One of them Soes to the secretary
of state and one is placed on the files Of
either house. I don't know what be-
comes OF the fourth, but they might send
1t 10 the president, because the GOnStitu-
ton and laws OF the United States rail to
provide any means of notifying him of
Ms election. That is d curious omission
Thus far no harm or danger has resulted
from It. BY some means or another every
man who mas been elected president Of
the United States has learned of that fact
in time and has turned up ali right on the
morning OF the 4th or March LOT mis- in
! auguIation, but IL would seem that con-
/ gress ought III some way communicate
this impO4 tant intellig nee in formal
manner To the person most interested.
/ Mr.. Chandler proclaimed what he called
the entertainment which was that Az
electoral votes had been cast, 292 for Will
liam Mckinley and l55 tor William j..
( Bryan-and wnSn he passed the paper up
to Mr. Frye the latter repeated the an
nouncement and said: This will be
deemed q sufficient declaration Of the
election of William Mckinley as president
of the United States and Theodore ROOse-
welt as vice president of the United States
and shall be entered upon the journals
of the senate and house of representa-
tfves and thus the fact that the greatest
nation on earth had elected its ruler was
made known