The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-14
Having Received the Same Majority
Over Stevenson that Mckinley Re-
ceived Over His Opponent.
INCIDENTS OF THE CEREMONY
LAPSUS LINGUAE BY GROsvENOR
THAT RAISED A LAUGH.
Announced that Bryan and Roosevelt
Had Carried CoIorado-Arkan-
sas Certificate Irregular.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-The ceremony
of counting the electoral vote for President
and Vice President. cast at the election last
fall, took place in the hall of the House of
Representatives at o'clock to-day, at a
joint session of the House and Senate. The
method OF counting the vote is prescribed
with great detail by the statute and was
followed literally to-day. Great crowds
thronged the galleries to witness the inter-
esting spectacle.
AT 2:45 proceedings in the House were
suspended and five rows of seats upon the
right of the hall were vacated for the MEM
bers of the Senate. At one minute of
o'clock. Colonel Ransdell. sergeant-at-
arms Of the Senate, appeared at the main
door, opposite the speakers desk, and an
nounced the president pro tenn. and the
members of the Senate. members of the
House rose to receive them, while page
boys, carrying the caskets In which the
electoral returns were deposited. took them
to the clerks desk.
Senator Frye, president pro tenn. of the
Senate, ascended the rostrum and took his
place at the right of Speaker Henderson
to preside over the joint session. Ex-vice
President Adlai E. Stevenson presided over
the joint session when the electoral vote
was counted four years ago. Immediately
below Speaker Henderson and Senator Frye
at the clerks desk, were the tellers of the
two houses. Senators Chandler. of New
Hampshire. and Caffery, of Louisiana, and
Representatives Grosvenor, Of Ohio, and
Richardson. of Tennessee, flanked on either
hand by the secretary of the Senate, Mr..
Bennett, and the clerk of the House, Mr..
Mcdowell. Still below them. on the floor.
the other officers of the House and Senate
ranged themselves in the front of the mar
BILE rostrum.
Senator Frye raped for order when all
were seated. "The Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States" he
announced, "are in joint session, pursuant
to the Constitution and laws of the United
States, for opening the certificates and
counting the votes of electors for Presi-
dent and Vice President of the United
States. If there is no objection, the formal
portions of the certificates will be omitted.
The certificate of the State of Alabama
will be read by the tellers, who will make
a list of votes therefrom.''
Thereupon Senator Chandler read, in ex-
tense. the vote of Alabama giving eleven
votes for William Jennings Bryan, of Me-
braska, for President. and eleven votes for
Adlai E. Stevenson, of Illinois, for Vice
President.
When Senator Caffery was about to read
the certificate of the State of Arkansas
Senator Cockrell, Of Missouri. addressed
the chair.
''Can we not dispense with the reading
of these certificates?" he asked land have
simply the result announced? I think we
can trust the tellers." This remark created
a general laugh
A SLIP OF THE TONGUE.
Senator Frye said consent already had
been given to dispense with the formal
reading Of the certificates, but that he
thought &C might be necessary to read the
certificate of Arkansas. owing to a slight
irregularity. This showed that one of the
ele ctors had been absent and that the Gov
ernor had appointed a substitute. me
certificate not challenged, however.
and the tellers proceeded to announce the
result in each State A lapsus linguae by
General Grosvenor, when he announced the
vote OF Colorado. created a general our
burst of merriment. He announced thar
Colorado has cast four votes for William
jennings Bryan. of Nebraska, for Presi-
dent and four for Theodore Roosevelt. OF
New York. for Vice President
'Oh! oh!'' shouted Mr.. Richardson, one
CT the Democratic tellers, while the men,
bers of the Senate Snd House on the floor
and the spectators in the galleries Joined
| In the laughter which followed. Mr.. Gros-
venor corrected the error and the an
nouncement of the vote of the several
States tnen proceeded in alphabetical or
| der.
The certificates were not uniform and the
operation of opening the bulky packages
and seeking out the result was attended
with many delays. When Marylands ejght
Votes were announced for Mckinley and
Roosevelt there was slight ripple of an
piause and the same response was made
to the announcement of Nebraska's vote
General Grosvenor announced the vote of
| the Presidents own State of Ohio. bur II
| created no demonstration.
On the conclusion OF the announceman,
| OF .4e vote OF Wyoming by the election
| OF the presiding officer. the tellers formally
| ascertained the totals. Senator Chandler
| announced the total number OF votes casr
| as AT. or which William Mckinley. of
Chic, received, Tor President of the United
| States. 292; William Jennings Bryan, of
| Nebraska. 155. and of which Theodore
Roosevelt of New York. received for Vice
president, 292. and Adlai Il. Stevenson, OF
| Illinois, i55.
| Thereupon. In accordance with the stat
ute. Senator Frye proclaimed the state
OF the vote as delivered 10 him. This
announcement of the state Of the vote by
the president OF the Senate" said he. us
by law sufficient declaration that Will
] liam Mckinley. of the State Of Ohio. Is
elected president OF the United States. and