The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-02-14
CONGRESS COUNTS VOTES
Declares Roosevelt and Fairbanks to
Be Officially Elected.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CEREMONY

resentatives During the Reading o
the CredentiaIs-Both House and Sen
ate Meet JointIy--RTrs. Roosevelt, so1
and Daughter Present.
Washington. b. Assembled In
joint convention, the two Houses OF
Congress observed the last formality
required to assure the election of Theo
dore Roosevelt to the Presidency and
Charles Warren Fairbanks to the Vice
Presidency. They canvassed the votes
cast by the so-called electoral colleges
\ That is, committee of Senators and
Representative s0lemnly read the Off
cial documents declaring the facts
known on the evening of Election Day.
The ceremony was begun at / o'clock
in the afternoon, Senator Frye. in ac-
a0rdance with the terms of the statute,
occupying the chair, with Speaker Can.
non on his left He announced that
unless there was objection the reading
OF the formal parts of the credentials
would be omitted. There was none
If there is no objection said Mr..
Frye, the chair will now open the
credentials from the State of Alabama.
and the tellers will count and make
list of the votes from that State"
There was no objection, but Mr.. Frye
had forgotten to announce the tellers.
An awkward pause occurred at that
point and continued until Mr.. Frye
ordered the tellers to come forward.
His admonition brought Senators Bur
rows. of Michigan. and Bailey, of
Texas. and Representatives Gaines. of
West Virginia. and Russell, of Texas,
to the clerks desk.
Cries of LOUDER greeted the effort
of Senator Burrows to announce that
"the credentials of the State of Ala
hama appear to be regular in form and
duly authenticated When Senator
Bailey. in a rich, clear and sonorous
voice announced the vote of Arkansas
there was a scattering round of APP
plause
At the announcement that Maryland
east one vote for Roosevelt there was
spirited applause. but there was
greater volume of hilarity when it was
proclaimed that the State cast seven
votes for Parker and Davis.
A prolonged demonstration occurred
when the vote of Missouri was read
and recorded. The reading fell to the
lot Of Representative Gaines As soon
rs he announced that the State voted
for Roosevelt, the Republican Repre-
sentatives applauded with great vigOr.
The Senators sitting to the right of the
presiding officer, as required by law,
looked on with amazement written on.
their faces. Representative Louden-
slayer pounded the desk in front of
him so as to make a din that could be
heard above a cackIing laugh coming
from the vicinity of Representative J.
Adam Bede.
The demonstration was renewed
when the votes for Fairbanks were
proclaimed. BY this time the manifes-
tation had become so boisterous that
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. sitting with his
mother and aunt, Mrs. w. S. Cowles.
and sister. Miss Alice. in the first row
Of the Executive gallery, permitted
himself the luxury of smile that by
easy stages in very short time over
spread his entire face. Before that
time he had been the most solemn
faced person in the crowded galleries.
At Lag D. M, forty-five minutes after
the convention was called to order,
the canvass was finished. Then Mr..
Frye said: 1.-THE credentials of all
the States have been read The tellers
will now make final ascertainment of
the result and report the same to the
president pro tempore of the Senate"
Five minutes later Senator Burrows
reported to President pro tempore
Frye that of the 476 votes cast Roose-
celt and Fairbanks had each received
$50 votes and Parker and Davis 140
votes
Then the presiding officer. after re-
peating the report made by the tellers,
said.
"This announcement by the Presi-
dent Of the Senate shall he deemed a
sufficient declaration of the persons
elected President and Vice President
of the United States. each for the term
beginning March 4, 1905. and shall be
entered together with lists of the votes
on the journals of the Senate and
House OF Representatives Gentle
men. the purpose for which this Joint
convention has been called having been
accomplished, the presiding officer dis
solves the joint convention. Senators
will return to their chamber
The Senators withdrew, and the
House and galleries We're speedily
emptied.