Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-02-08
The FormaIities Of Declaring
President Roosevelt and
Vice>Prcsidcnt Fairbanks
Elected TO the Highest OF
fees Within the Gift Of
the People Gone Through
With.
AN IMPOSING CEREMONY.


abds struggled for admittance today
10 the hall Of the house 81 represen-
tatiyes 10 witness the formal finishing
touches on the election of Messrs.
Roosevelt and Fairbanks. or, In other
words, the ceremony OF ~canvassing
the electoral vote. Those who were
successful in gaining entrance To the
visitors galleries were rewarded by
the sight OF one of The most impress.
siyo and interesting ceremonies pre-
scribcd by the constitution Of the re-
public.
The two houses OF congress met, as
usual, at noon. For some time pre-
yiona 10 that hour large crowds were
10 be seen swarning toward the capi.
tol. Up the marble stairways climbed
the crowd. Arriving 81 the gallery
entrances to tho house the visitors
importuned tho d~oorkeepers for admit
tance. Tho majority ~ them, how
ever, we're doomed 10 disappointment.
for none but the senators. represen.
f~atiyes, their families and friends
were admitted BY card TO occupy the
seats usually set apart for the general
public.
Precisely Of ] o'clock. a messenger
having notifirsa the upper house that
tho lower was ready. the southern
door Of tho senate chamber swung
open and a procession of saces issue''
forth upon the mosaic floor OF tho cor
rIdor IA an advance guard there was
A phalanx OF capitol police and bring
Ing up The rear were the assistant
a-oofkeepers Of the senate bearing the
polished mahogany boxes containing
tho sealed certificates OF the electoral
vote. The double row OF senators was
headed by Colonel Daniel NJ. Rams
dell, the scrgeant.at.arms. who was
followed by The president pro tcmpore.
Senator william p. Frye nf Maine.
The arrival OF the senators ut the
door OF the hill of tho house was the
signal for Speaker Cannon and the 3sa
other members Of the lower body 10
rise from their seats. All remained
standing until the upper house was
seated.
Beneath the large silk nag draped
above the presiding officers chair
Senator Frye and Speaker Cannon
tcnk their seats side by side. Tho
former. ON the right. being by statute
The presiding officer OF the Joint SOS
thn. There was ar absolute still tess
Throughout the great hall M Senator
FRYE took up the silver keys placed
before him and unlocked the maaoca'
nv boxes This marked the actual be.
gaining Of the ceremony. Taking the
large brown envelopes from the boxes
Senator Frye arose. gavel In hand,
and addressed tho assembiage thus;
This being the day and the hour
appointed for opening the certificates
and counting the votes of electors
for president and vice president. the
senate and house Of representatives
have met together pursuant to the
constitution and laws az the United
States"
Senator Frye then took up the
brown packages In alphabetical order,
each containing an inner envelope
sealed with wax, He first broke the
seal on the envelope from Alabama
and handed the certificate within 10
Senator Foraker. one of the four tel
iers. Tho Other tellers were Senator
German OF Maryland and Congress
men Gaines OF West Virginia and Rvs
sell OF Texas
Senator Foraker read nj length the
certificate Of the vote of the state OF
Alabama. Following p%recedents on
former occasions. The t%ellers. having
observed that the certificates were In
due form, omitted reading the Others
In full. aud taking the states In al.
phabetIeal order, announced the veto
TO each When Maryland was reach
ed Il was found that the vote Of that
state was split, seven votes Icing cast
for Parker aud Davis and one-that ii
Charles j Donaparte being for
Roosevelt and Fairbanks, The votes
OF all the other states were straight
The secretary OF the senate gather.
ed up each certificate after II was
read by the tellers and handed to him
by a page, The votes Of all the
states having been read and added BY
the ~teiiers. the announcement Of the
result a read TO Senator Frye. who
then announced that ''the state OF the
vote for president OF the uaited
States. as delivered 20 the president OF
the senate Is as follows: The whole
number Of electors appointed 10 vote
for president OF the United States IL
4T6, OF which a majority Is ?3a. Theo-
dore Roosevelt OF the state Of New
York has received for presiden, a.