The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-12
THE ELECTORAL VOTE
Canvassed in Joint Session
of Congress, and the Re
suits Announced.

Washington, Feb. 12-The perfectly
perfunctory, but highly important
task of declaring woodrow WiIson
and Thomas r MaEsdaa r 9as1esa
lively, of the United States, was per
formed here today at joint session
Wilson and Marshall hadn't been
elected until after today's session:
The meeting was a highly dign1fied
srfbed by the Constitution The
President pro tempore of the Senate,
Senator Bason, stern1y announced
the floor or galleries, but occasionally
some enthusiastic Individual mad the
temerity to ignore the order.
received 1876 votes in the electoral
college, Roosevelt So, and Taft 8.
Rigorous procedure, prescribed oy
statutes, was strictly followed in to-
days canvass Of the votes. 1t was
the supreme and final act Of law real
~ making Wilson and Marshall the
nations executives for the next four
years. The Inauguration to follow Is
but the formal attestation by oath OF
ence to the Constitution and laws OF
the country and faithful execution OF
their trusts, and their ceremonial IN
duction into office
today for the formal canvass of the
votes Long before, in fact early TINS
bombarded the doors of the House
gallery to secure entrance. Admis-
sion was limited to those bearing
members cards
The ceremonies today were entirely
in the House chamber, as prescribed
by law In 1887, Before noon every
stairways and outer corridors were
filled with struggling, Eeeth1ng hu-
manity- Hundreds stood outside, able
only to hear the En5Iffled droning Of
he al
The Senate end of the Capitol was
deserted Long before 1 O'Clock, a
House floor. Promptly at 1 Sen Ba-
con of Georgia, acting president pro
tempoFe of the Senate, and named by
law to preside over the joint session
mounted the marble. Speakers ros-
trun The gaveI was turned over to
him by Speaker Clark. Bacon then
the joint sesston-to canvass the votes
cast in the electoral college" Jan. ID
and ascertain If President ana a
Vice-President had been elected last
November.
Speaker Clark took a seat at Bacon's
left. The Senators were seated at the
sentative at the left. -Four teIIers-
two each from the Senate and House
occupied seats at the desk OF the
Clerk of the House. With them were
and Clerk Trinnbfe of the House.
Other officers of the Senate and
sergeants-at-arms. were assembled on
either side Of the platform
On the Speakers green-baize desk
/ was a high stack of papers and seal
ed enveIopes These contained the
official certificates of the electoral
| votes, sent by mail and messenger
to the President OF the Senate.
ssThe canvass of the votes will now
I begin,'' Senator Bacon announced
| hushing the loud hum of conversation
| which swept from floor to galleries.
A clerk began opening the envelopes
| at Bacon's elbow. These were ar
| ranged in the alphabetical order of
con ana passed to the teIlers at the
clerks desk, who recorded and tailed
| the votes
row Wilson and II for Thomas r.
/ Marshall" was the announcement,
| which started a ripple of applause
| Immediately being hushed by Bacon's
| gavel This, the home state of Ma
| jority Leader Oscar Underwood of the
| House. who was a candidate at<Bal-
| SIGNAL for the first outburst of pent
| up Democratic ecstasy
Bull Moose partiSans got their
welt when the California vote was an
! nounced. The 'Progressives'' from
| that state applauded despite pounding
/ of the gaveI. President Taft's paFti-
| list of states for their demonstration
Nicholas Murray Butter was the
]
electors for Utah and Vermont as
President Taft's running mate. Vice
President Sherman died after the nom
| nations and it was necessary that
some candidate be selected to fill his
place on the official statements certi-
fled by the states.
| Upon the completion of the call of
states Senator Bacon formally an
election of Wilson and Marshall. The
joint session was then adjourned sine
Under the law Bacon's announce
nent is decided to be "a sufficient dec
laration of election
To-day's proceedings We're institut-
ed in April 6, 1889, when the first joint
canvass was held
i George Washington is the only Pres
/ ident who has had the unanimous vote
of the electoral college. James Mon
roe received all but one vote in 1920,
4 cast the sole dissenting vote.
The vote officially given Wilson to-
day, however, is the largest plurality
any President has received in years.
| President Taft got only 321 votes,
Roosevelt sss. and Mckinley 292.
| The votes canVassed to-day were on
Iy those actually cast for the Presi-
Dental and Vice-PresidentiaI candi-
dates. Although thousands of voters
believed they were voting for the can
merely voting for the electors.
i On January 10, the electors met at
and cast the vote polled to-day. Cop
les were sent to the Secretary of state,
and also by mail and messenger to the
! President of the Senate. The votes
now become part of the archives of
Congress, and will be carefully guard
ed in fireprof vaults of the Capitol.
To-day's proceedings were these
which were generally predicted last
fall as possibly provocative OF a dead
lock- 1t was feared that none of the
candidates for President would have a
plurality of the electoral votes, be
cause of the bitter, triangular cam
padgn The law provides that if none
of the candidates had a majority at
to-day's Joint session, the three high
est candidates should be voted upon
each state casting one vote.