The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-02-11
HARDING DECLARED
ELECTED PRESIDENT
Joint Session Places inish-
ing Touch To Re-
cord.

w d5uiuBlOu, IT Gu - dIEtu va
mailel Harding of Ohio and Calvin
Coolidge of Massachusetts, was for
mally declared today by Congress to
be elected President and Vice Presi-
dent of the United States for four
years, beginning next March 4.
Thus was written the final chap
ter in the history of the 1920 Presi-
Dental elections. The scene was laid
in the chamber of the House of Rep
resentatives with the Democratic Vice
President Marshall presiding, The
occasion was the canvassing of the
electoral votes cast by the electors
chosen on November 2-404 for the
Republican candidates and 1877 for
the Democratic candidates, former
Governor James M. Cox, of Ohio and
Franklin d. Roosevelt, of Hyde Park,
N. Y.
Friends of Candidates Present
The recording of the votes was at
tended by all the Formally and sol.
emnity prescribed by the Constitu-
tion and there not only were present
he members of the Senate and House,
but many relatives and friends of the
successful candidates.
Two highly polished mahogany
boxes, inlaid with rosewood and hol-
ly wood, were dumb actors in this
drama of democratic government.
Resting on the Vice Presidents desk
they contained the official ballots of
the electors of the forty-eight States.
In alphabetical order, beginning with
Alabama's vote, the returns, in large
envelopes blazing with seals, were
opened by the Vice President, hand
ed to the Senate and House tellers-
one Republican and one Democrat
representing each body-and read to
the assemblage and recorded.
At the conclusion of the announce
ments and tally, Vice President Mar
shall declared formally that Mr.. Har-
ding had been chosen President and
Mr.. Coolidge Vice President-in Of
fetal language that the announce
ment should "be deemed a sufficient
declaration of the persons elected
President and Vice President of the
United States, each for term be-
ginning March 4, 1921.
The joint session today was order
ed by resolution of both Senate and
House. At o'clock led by two Sen
ate pages carrying the ballot boxes,
the Senate, following the Vice Presi-
dent and escorted by its sergeant-at-
arms, secretary and other officials,
proceeded to the House chamber,
where they were announced with GER
emory, the House membership rising
as the senatorial party entered. AS
prescribed by law, the Vice President
took charge of the session, with
Speaker Gillett seated at his left and
the Senators at the right of the cham
Der.
In opening the ceremonies Mr.. Mar
shall gave the usual warning against
by the spectators, a
warning which always has been hon
ored in the breach until the galleries
lost their enthusiasm under the YER
bal procession of formal announce
ments by the four tellers.
The votes canvassed today were
cast last January 10 by the electors
meeting in their respective States and
have since been arriving almost daily
at the Vice Presidents office. Dupli-
cate returns also have been sent by
m lianadaa1J
mail and the law requires that third
set be filed with the Federal District
Court of each State. Among the per-
sonal messengers who brought the
ballots to Washington were women
serving as such for the first time in
the nations history.