Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-02-09
CONGRESS Sits
SOLEMNLY And
CANVASES VOTE.
Finishing Touches Put
To Election OF Hard
ing And Coolidge

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9. - War
rem Gamaliel Harding, of Ohio, and
Calvin Coolidge, Of Massachusetts,
were formally declared today by
congress to be elected president and
vice-president of The United States
for four years beginning next March
4.
Thus was written the final chapter
in the history of the 1920 presiden.
tial elections. The scene was laid
in the chamber of the house Of repre-
sentatives 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 NJ. Cox, of Ohio,
and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Hyde
Park, New York.
The recording of the votes was at
tended by all the formality and
solemnity prescribed by the consti-
tuition and there not only were pres
ent the 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-
! lywood, were dumb actors in the
drama of Democratic government.
Resting on the vice-president's desk,
they contained the official ballots of
| The electors CT the forty-eight states
/ In alphabetical order, beginning with
! Alabama's vote, the returns, large
envelopes blazing with seals, were
opened by the vice-president, handed
to the senate and house tellers-one
| Republican and one Democrat repre-
senting each body--and read to the
assemblage and recorded
AT the conclusfog of The announce
ments and tally, Vice-President Mar
shall declared formally that Mr..
Harding had been chosen president
and Mr.. Coolidge, president
official 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
cd 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
ceremony, the house membership ris-
ing as the senatorial party entered.
As prescribed by law, the vice-presi-
dent took charge Of the session, with
Speaker Gillette seated at his left
and the senator's at the right of the
| chamber
Warns Galleries.
In opening the ceremonies Mr. Mar
shall gave the usual warning against,
demonstrations by the spectators, a
warning which always has been hon
orcd in the breach until the galleries
lost their enthusiasm under the verb
al procession of formal announce
ments by their four tellers.
The votes canvassed today were
cast last January 10 by the electors
netting in their respective states and
have since been arriving almost daily
Mt the vice-president's office. Dup
licate returns also have been sent
by mail and the law requires that a
third set be filed with the Federal
district court of each state. Among
the personal messengers who brought
the ballots to Washington were wom-
en- serving as such for the first time
in the nations history.
A custom of procedure followed
today as usual in the joint congress
sional session was an opportunity
for objections to the recording of
the votes. After each states vote
was announced, the vice-president
asked if there were any objections.
, These, by law, are required to be in
writing and, in event Of failing, to
be voted on by the senate and house
separately. s&H