Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-11
OF A POPE.
Method Of Voting Adopted BY
Conclave of Cardinals.
GREAT SECRECY Is OBSERVED.

Their Eminences Assemble Ten Days
After the POntiH Is Declared Dead
and Are Locked Up In CelIs-NO
Communication Allowed With Any
One From Outside wOrld-SmOke
From Chimney and Ringing OF Bell
Tell Fate of Ballots.
Remarkable precaution and secrecy
are observed in the election of q pope.
For COO years it has been the custom OF
the lord chamberlain to call the con-
clave of the cardinals ten days after,
the pope's death to begin the work OF
choosing his successor.
The conclave takes its name from the
fact that the cardinals are locked up In
''conclave' in a room in the Vatican,
shut off from all communication with
the outside world, says the New York
Herald.
On the day of the conclave all are
summoned from their cells by bell
thrice rung and repair to the assembly
chamber. From this moment until the
result of the voting is announced they
have no communication save with the
Vatican officials. Their clothing and
even their food Is searched lest they
should contain correspondence from
friends outside. If, by the greatest ex-.
ercise Of leniency, visitor is admitted.
he must speak to the immured cardinal
through q grating of iron and In tone
loud enough to be heard by the watch
ers. After a night of this seclusion the
conclave is formally assembled early
next afternoon, and all repair to the
Sistine chapel, where a desk has been
provided for each cardinal. In the mid
die of the hall are six tables and be-
hind these an altar.
Immediately in front of the altar Is
table on which are two chalices for
holding the ballots. Before proceeding
further a search is made in the chapel
to assure the conclave of the fact that
none but those entitled to vote are pres
ent Three inspectors of the election
are then chosen by ballot. Should any
cardinal be so i'll that he is unable to
leave his dormitory a committee is ap-
pointed to visit him and take his vote,
which is brought to the conclave sealed
and deposited in one of the chalices.
Each cardinal writes on little table
| in the corner of the chapel the name OF
the candidate he would elect in the CEN
| ter of the voting ticket. This is of an
oblong form. In the center are the
printed words, "Eligo in Summum
Pentificem RIM. Dmmeum. d. Card q
elect sovereign pontiff my Lord Cardi-
nal y, after which the voter In
scribes the name of the candidate he
would elect.
At the foot of the altar the voter lifts
I'D his hand and exhibits the ticket be-
tween his thumb and finger. He then
| kneels and prays for a moment, after
which he takes oath that he is about to
elect him whom. according to God, he
thinks ought to be elected. He then
| puts the ticket on the paten and slips II
from thence into the chalice, which he
covers up again. Then he makes anew
a reverence before the altar and re-
/ turns to his place.
When all have voted in like manner
the six tellers examine the papers and
proclaim the result. If no cardinal has
obtained the required number of votes
two-thirds of the number of cardinals
present, the result is declared void, and
the voting papers. collected together
are burned in a brazier with damp
straw, the dense smoke from which is
sues through a particular chimney visi
BILE from outside and proclatms to tht