East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-02-08

Washington, d. C, Feb. S.-Thous-
ands struggled for admittance today |
to the hall of the house of represen-
tatives to witness the formal finish
ing 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
sive and interesting ceremonies pre-
scribed by the constitution of the re-
public.
The two houses of congress met as
usual at noon. Ror some time. pre-
vious to that hour large crowds were
to be seen swarming toward the cap
itol. Up the marble stairways climb
ed the crowd. Arriving at the gal
lery entrances to the house the visit
otrs importuned the doorkeepers for
admittance. The majority of them,
however. were doomed TO disappoint-
ment, for none bu. the senator's, rep
resentatives, their families and friends
were admitted by card to occupy the
seats usually set apart for the gen.
eral public.
Precisely at l o'clock, a messenger
having notified the upper house that
the lower was ready, the southern
door of the senate chamber swung
open and a procession of Sages issued
forth upon the mosaic floor of the
corridor. As an advance guard there
was a phalanx of capitol police and
bringing up the rear were the assist
ant doorkeepers of the senate bearing
the polished mahogany boxes contain
ing the sealed certificates of the cleo
toral vote. The double row of senat-
ors was headed by Colonel Daniel M.
Ransdell, the sergeant-at-arms, who
was followed by the president pro
tempore, Senator William P. Frye, of
Maine.
The arrival of the senators at the
door of the hall of the house was
the signal for Speaker Cannon and
the ass other members of the lower
body, to rise from their seats. All
remained standing until the upper
house was seated.
Beginning OF Ceremony.
Beneath the large silk flag draped
above the presiding officers chair
Senator Frye and Speaker Cannon
took their seats side by side. the for.
I h. fa1,T hN- cta t1t
the presiding officer of the joint ses'
sion. There was an absolute stiffness
throughout the great hall as Sena'
tor Frye took up the silver keys plac'
ed before him and unlocked the ma
hogany boxes. This marked the act
ual beginning of the ceremony. TAX
ing the large brown envelopes from
the boxes Senator Frye arose, gave
in hand, and addressed the assem-
blage thus:
This being the day and the houl
appointed for opening the certificates
and counting the votes of electors foi
president and vice president, the sen
ate and house of representatives hav'
met together pursuant to the consti
tuition and laws of the United States.
Senator Frye then took up th'
brown packages in alphabetical or
der, each containing an inner envel
ope sealed with wax. He first brok
the seal on the envelope from Alaba
, ma and handed the certificate withiI
to Senator Foraker, one of the fou
tellers. The other tellers were Sen
ator German, of Maryland, and Con
; gressmen Gaines, of West Virginia
and Russell, of Texas
Senator Foraker read at length tn
certificate of the vote Of the state
Alabama. Following precedents OBJ
served on former occasions, the tel
lers. having observed the certificate
were in form, omitted reading TN
others I'm full, and, taking the state
: in alphabetical order, announced tn
, vote of each. When Maryland wa
reached 1t was found that the vote O
: that state was split, seven votes bein
: cast for Parker and Davis and one
that of Charles ]. Bonaparte-bein
for Roosevelt and Fairbanks. tn
, votes of all the other states wer
straight"
The secretary of the senate gath
cred up each certificate after It wa
! read by the teilers and handed to hii
by a page. The votes of all the state
having been read and added by tn
] tellers the announcement OF the n
suIt was read to Senator Frye, VIII
then announced that:
\ "The state of the vote for presidei
! of the United States, as delivered
\ the president of the senate, Is as 70
I lows: The whole number Of electo
! appointed to vote for president
the United States is 47s, Of which
: majority is 23s. Theodore Rooseve
of the state Of New York. has recei
ed for president of the United Stat
3s6 votes, and Alton B. Parker, Of 4
state Of New York, has received 1
votes"
A similar announcement of the vo
for vice president then followed, al
afterwards Senator Frye made }
formal declaration Of the election
i Roosevelt and Fairbanks in the
- words:
This announcement of the sta
OF the vote by the president OF u
senate is by law a sufficient declar
ton that Theodore Roosevelt, OF
state of New York, is elected pres