The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-06
LETTER FROM ITALY.
Curiosities of Election Campaigns in Naples
and in Old Pompeii.

NAPLES, Italy, Aug- 10, abS4.-AB l wrote
you IN my last concerning the politics, or
rather the political history Of United
Italy, nov fulfill my promise to tell you some
thing of elections here. As ysu are all in the
dogdsys, with your coats OF, shirtsaeewes rolled
up, and just going in, might and main, for your
favorite candidates., / thought that 1T would be a
little diversion fren the usual s~leetion cam
paigningin the United States to tell you a few
things about elsctiens in Italy. Naples is as
good a stand point to lock at some of the curios-
tiles of an election as any other place,
Naples is n city of half a million, hut not more
than COCO are the voters, azl told, who, in the
most exciting Times, can be brought to the polls.
In the election just held for deputies to the
communal and provincial councils tequal to elect
ing members to oar State LegislaturelI do not
think that 15;90e people votea-indeed / should
think that 1900 would be nearer the mark, for
| observed that he who obtained the highest
number OF votes got less than S,De0, while tho
opposition candidate received a little more than
5000. They can't here. begin to get up the ex
citement that they can ia Indianapolis.
The newspapers do something in waging the
war fer either party, but the newspapers here
are as far behind the standard of the political
NNtA41 M CAtO hAlAHl 40 NA&NeA SOh
ceiTe. For downright superior defamation and
~mudthrowing, as a fine art, the American pOlit-
ical newspaper can beat all creation. I some
shines wonder tsnppOsing that a 1.-THE is true
when I read . campaign paper of the United
States if the candidate of the opposition has any
public or private character or virtue at all. Over
here Ia Italy we cannot begin he como up to
Americans IN black washing a poFtiealepponens's
character.
While newspapers, to some extent, enter into
an election campaign, the papers in Italy. as a
general thing, are far more independent of poll
tics than in the United States. Therefore, the
visible and audible machinery of elections is
concentrated in The orator or the paacard. The
aorator must not be any of your ordinary half
pony power politicians, but he rnust be a regular
fone-thousand-horse steam engine in brooches
a political leader of the first water. italy is in
the age of political leadership as we were in
America when Daniel Webster, Henry Clay,
Andrew jackson Though Others were his mouth
pieees1 would dictate the policy Of a party. To
day in Italy De Pretis, the chief of the Cabinet,
can deliver one speech in his aaative city Of
S~tradeIla, and it will dictate the policy of the
party in power throughout the whole nation, as
web as if he harEmgued the electors in
every city of Italy. On the other hand, let
either Carroll, or Crisp, or Zanarde1li, the lead
ers of the opposition, sound the war-trumpet of
their party, and the outs VIII rally 10 the call
and act accordingly.
But to the outward senses the big poster is "a
bigger thing" than the political orator IN Italy,
but doubt if its influence can compare at all
with the few speeches of the c-ontending factions,
- L1-A = -. u gLl.-----.--4
what they seem, Still the many-colored post
ers make the streets seem lively, ard thus it is a
good ching for the job printer.
So different are the phases and the standard
of civilization in Italy from those in America,
that one would believe that there would be moth
ing common in such a thing as an election, But
/ find that not only the same passions are
brought into play, the same appeals to patriot
ism, probity of character, advocacy of reform, or
economy of administration, as in America, but,
even here, they are only reproducing what took
place on this same ground :, 600 years ago.
Yesterday afternoon went to Po1npeii with my
friends, Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Holme, {who, by
the way, saw indianapolis in 1878 and prese1E We
the most pleasant recollection of their rislt), and
as ! passed through the streets of Naples, on my
way to the railway station, I saw the piacards
of the election just passed. and of the coming
election next Sunday for the wards of the city
where there we're ties in the late contest AS /
looked at those great posters / thought, thow
little there is new under the sun in electioneer-
ing and when, a few hours afterward, wan
dered through the silent streets Of Pompeii, I
saw just such election notices, just such APP
pealss which had been painted on the walls of
the old city two thousand years ago. Pompeii
had no printing press, but the painter put on
those walls nominations, appeals, etc, in great
red Soaps" {capitalsl, as the Romans had no
small letters. Now, what a curious coincidence,
the modern Neapolitan and the ancient election
eering sshand-bilsr are identical in form, and
almost the same in language. One year 1 took
notes of the hand-bills on the walls of Naples.
One Of these announcements was printed in
largs capitals, on lilacstinted paper, nine feet
long and three feet wide, as follows. ssThe Oppo
sition noninatefhe Prince Castagnato az deputy. .
In another ward there was another big poster,
with simply the name Of the candidate. Got
treaup tbrcther of the musical composer, and
author Of the famous Neapolitah song, Santa
Lucia Yesterday 1 noted several new
posters. One was a large one, which pro-
Claimed that all the Independent voters have
adopted the following as their candidates.
1heA gave a llSt OF Lac combined candidates. i
A little further on / saw this appeal lshowing
that workingmen over here have their candi-
dates as well as in America
vWefkingInen, vote for Augustus Marteiio,
the tailor; he is one of u.s. Curious that a
~tailors name should be a hammer dMartello.l 4
At the next square I saw posted in large letters,
AProfessor A4bani for Deputy as il a univer-
1Gity man would not permit any ~claptrap in his
nomination, but would come with only the
weight and dignity of his name.
Now look at this picture: AT Pompeii | saw
sverywhere the election notices of that far
away time, when the Apostle John was living,
and before he had been banished to the Island
nf Ratmos. Here Is one Of the first natices: !