The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-12
Final FOrmality in Connection
With Presidential Election.
Choice of Wilson and Marshall
Is Officially Proclaimed.
IN PRESENCE or BOTH HOUSES
The Sealed Envelopes From the
States Are Opened.
Senator Bacon PreSideS Over
the Joint Session.

Washington, Feb. 12.-The last step
toward the formal Inauguration of
Woodrow Wilson as president and
Thomas r. Marshall as vice president
came today with the opening, verifying
and counting of the electoral vote cast
by the various states The proclama-
ton made as the result of this count
in the hall of the house of representa-
tives constitutes the formal notice to
the nation that Wilson and Marshall
received the majority of electoral votes.
The certificates from the states, each
sealed in the envelope in which it was
delivered, were taken out of the senate
vault early today and put into big
rosewood box to be carried to the house
chamber. House and senate had made
arrangements by formal orders to sus-
pend business and assemble in the
house chamber in the Joint conven-
tion,' provided for by the constitution.
Two senate pages, William F. Gurgen-
sen and Nelson Carlisle had been des-
lgnated to carry the box of electoral
votes ahead of them. In the line OF
march decided upon by officers of the
senate came Sergeant-at-arms E. L.
Cornelius and Immediately behind them
Senator Bacon, presiding officer of the
senate, Secretary Bennett and the
members of the senate in a double col
unn.
the proceedings leading up to the count
of votes. Senators Dillingham; and
MARITIME, and Representatives Rucker
of, Missouri and S. w. Smith of Micht-
gan, had been appointed tellers for the
respective houses, to canvass and count
the votes. Their places had been ar
ranged directly in front of the speak
er's chair, where they took the place of
the house clerks during the progress
OF the joint convention.
Bacon Presides.
The honor of presiding over the
JOINT convention fell to Senator Bacon
as presiding officer of the senate
chair at the left provided a place for
Speaker Clark and house members
had arranged to vacate the first four
rows of seats at the right of the
speakers desk to make room for SEN
ators.
The program provided that the SEN
ator carrying the electoral vote,
should be met at the door of the house
by Doorkeeper Joseph ]. Sinnot and
announce the members of the house
receiving the visitors with rising
welcome. The electoral vote, borne
by the two pages. was REQUIRED to be
delivered direct to the speakers desk
where the presiding officer of the
joint convention took charge of it,
opened the certificates asked if any
objection" had been filed to any
states vote, and handed the formal
certificates to the teIlers counting
The total vote as ascertained by the
tellers, constituted the official total of
the Wilson and Marshall electoral
vote. The official proclamation by
Senator Bacon, prescribed in form by
the rules governing today's proceed !
1ngs was as follows:
This announcement of the state of
the vote by president of the senate |
shall be deemed sufficient declara-
ton of the persons elected president |
and vice president of the United |
States for the term beginning March |
4, 1913, and shall be entered together |
with a list of the votes on the Jour |
nails of the two houses"
When the house and senate finally |
got into joint session the counting of |
the vote began. There was tense in
terest at first, but as the count went |
on conversation the floor almost |
drowned the announcement of the |
tellers. Representative Rucker of |
Missouri persisted in announcing votes |
for william Wilson,"
AS each certificate was read it was |
and recorded.
The reading of the certificate of |
New jerseys vote was accorded to |
senator MARITIME. In a loud voice he
the states fourteen votes
Tor Woodrow Wilson and Senator Ba-
con was unable to stop an outburst of
applause.
near the end of the list a round of
led by Senator Smoot. greet
ed the first votes cast for Taft and
Butler. Another round greeted the
only other vote cast for Taft four
from Vermont.