Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-01-18

own hall 80 minutes after the joint session
opened.
AT the rate less than one minute will be de
voted to consideration of the votes cast by the
electors chosen in each state. Within that min
ute is to be included the time required to move
the envelopes from the mahogany boxes and
to place them in the hands of the Vice presi-
dent, as we'll as the seconds which will pass
while the presiding officer opens the envelopes
and while official tellers scan the contents and
tell what they see.
Under the venerable plan the tellers finally
discover" the identities Of the men who next
are to be President and Vice President. The
names OF those men are then announced by the
president of the senate. Only when no candI-
date receives a majority of the votes cast does
this procedure go awry.
But to return to the official p~retenseo of elect
ing a President February s: Connected with its
early history are two significant IFS" If the
roads between Georgia and Philadelphia back
in 1857 hadn't been so rough and If a certain
delegate to the constitutional convention from
Georgia named William Houston hadn't suffered
so much discomfort from the condition of the
roads, the whole system might have been diff
ferent.
The convention had almost decided to have
electors chosen by the people of each state jour.
ney once every four years to the National Capital
to meet for the purpose of voting among them
selves to decide who should hold the two high
positions.
But Mr.. Houston rose to his feet during a
session on a hot July afternoon and, with memo
ries of the road still fresh in his mind. told the
assembled delegates what he thought about the
idea. He directed the conventions attention
to the expense and extreme inconvenience of
drawing together men from all states for the
single purpose of ~electing the chief executive"
He said also IL seemed improbable to him that
capable men would undertake the service I'M
der the penalty of having to travel far from
home. only TO turn right around and 20 back
to the journeys starting point.
A suggestion was made that called for electors
Of each state to travel only TO their state capital
to cast their votes. Mr.. Houston approved of
that. Development of the plan then progressed.
producing the proposal that each state appoint
a messenger TO bring the votes of its electors to
the seat Of the national government. The dele
gates, worn out after many weeks of debate, vel
coined the compromise.
These periodical trips were continued for more
than 1870 years. The messengers. usually refa-
tives Of the leading campaign contributors. state
nOuSe employees poillCdi anu SuCH,
received Is cents a mile for their travels to
Washington.
About four years ago, IL was found that this
quadrennial sending Of messengers was costing
the national government more than $4,000. Econ
omy demanded a change SO a law was passed
providing that the electoral votes, or "certih-
Gates" as they are formally called, be sent by
mail instead of by messenger.
This act, approved May 20, 1923, reads as
follows:
1.-THE electors Of President and Vice Presl-
dent of each state shall meet and give their
votes on the first Wednesday in January next
following their appointment at such place
In each state as the legislature of such state
shall direct.
1T shall be the duty Of the executives of
each state, as soon as practicable after the
conclusion of the appointment of the electors in
such state by the final ascertainment. under and
In pursuance of the laws of such state providing
for such ascertainment, to communicate by reg
Istered mail under the seal of the state to the
secretary of state of the United States a certi