Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-17

certain lecture last night, could have obtained
some points on how to conduct a municipal
election His instructors, strange as it may
seem. would have been the ancient Pompeiians,
who fourished eighteen hundred years ago. In
fact, there appears a remarkable similarity be-
tween the election methods Of those days and
the customs which obtain at the present times
DIR. James C. yelling gave lecture last
night at the Columbian University on the sub
ject Of 1.-THE Last Town Election of Pompeii-"
As is well known, DIR. yelling is a great archao-
logical student. scientist and a scholar. In
his researches he has developed some curious
facts about elections the year 10 A. d., and
it was these Developments that he proposed to
exploit in his lecture last night and which he
did in 8 most scholarly, masterful and classic
manner.
The political reporter was assigned to cover
the lecture. Now, the political reporter does
not know anything about archaeology and
could not hope p reproduce the finished ad-
dress of DIR. yelling, but he does lay claim TO
the ability to report a ward primary and will
therefore give the political points Of the lee
ture in his own time and his own way.
AN ANCIENT TICKET.
The first thing which greeted the eve upon
entering the hall last night was q blackb board
For duumvirate.
NJ. Holconius Priscus.
l. Ceius Secundua
G. Gavius Rufus.
c. Calventius.
Sittius Magnus.
For sedileship.
NJ. Casellius MarceIlus.
II. Cerrinius Vstia-
L. Popidius Secundus.
@. Cuspius Pausa.
@. Helvius Sabinus.
l. Abucus CELSIUS.
This seemed familiar; here, evidently, was a
regular ticket. duly nominated and up for cleo
ton The poll teal reporter felt at home i'm
mediately. The surmlse proved to be correct.
Dr. Yelling explained that the foregoing was
the regular straight ticket for the election of
city officers In Pompeii, the last election which
was ever held there. for Pompeii was buried by
lava and ashes from an eruption OF the volcano
of Vesuyius on August % and "a in the year ~.
The foregoing Inscriptions were found en-
graved upon q number Of walls and bill boards
of the city By the Psychologists in making ex-
eavations In the doomed city few years ago.
ANNUAL ELECTIONS.
In those times it was customary to elect city
officers every year. There were two classes Of
officials the duumvirs or selectmen and the
aedile, who were marketmasters and inspectors
Of weights superintended the removal of gar
bage and made the street sweepers toe the mark.
Ali candidates were put in spontaneous nomi-
nation by friends, who some time before the
election engraved the names of their candidates
upon the walls Of the town. When a Pompeiian
politician was ''in the hands of his friends his
name was Immediately posted on the bill
boards.
After some time, If the candidate thought
that he would be I'm it, at the election he went
to the chief selectman and announced that he
had decided to stand for the election, having
been induced by the populace to sacrifice him
self to the public good His name was then
put on the white list and there was no with
drawing after that
Pompeii was divided into wards and each
ward had its boss. Primaries were held in
every ward, at which certain candidates were
decided upon the choice of the ward The
general election was held in the forum. The
representatives Of the wards assembled there
on election day with their tablets, on which
were written their choice Of candidates. The
voters came forward in q long line, passing.
one by one, through the polling place and de-
posting their ballots IN box. There were
three judges of election and each candidate was
permitted to station one Of his henchmen in
the polling place to see that the opposition did
not vote any tissue ballots or stuff the box.
There was no opportunity to monkey with the
ballot box in the forum. The candidate who
received q majority Of the wards was declared
elected
HOT CONTEST.
Judging from the inscriptions on the city
walls the last election in Pompeii was q no
one. Mr.. u. Cerrinius vatia was the candidate
Of .'the boys for sedile, and Mr.. NJ Holconius
Priscus and Mr.. c. Gavius Rufus for duumvirs.
One Thebus, who kept tavern down on the
Via Storts, was the boss in that ward, and he
sent his men around engraving the following
upon the walls: '.Thebus and his customers
nominate VI. Holconius Priscus and C. Gavius
Rufus for duumvirs." This was fair warning
to ''the gang" to come up and vote the straight
ticket, with no boiling.
Just across from the Forum, in No. 10 of that
street, were the headquarters Of q club named
The Late Topers," meaning topers who topped
until late at night and who were never classed
as .'quitters." They stuck up a sign as follows:
The Late Topers beg the people to vote for
Marcus Savinius Vatis for Edile" Vatia, il
There were other clubs who had candidates.
There were the Isis Club" the "Saltyarders''
the SLEEPY Heads" and the Little Thieves"
Some Of the wall inscriptions give evidence OF
how warm the fight waxed- Here are few
samples:
10. Proculus, put in your full work for our
man Protto"
20. Eubonius, keep your eyes OPEN"
80, 1nfans. you are fast asleep and vet you
say you are electioneering."
The man who refuses to vote for Quintus
ought to be mounted an ass
In one tavern IN the first ward, where there
was a well-attended primary, it was evident
that the proprietor met the emer agency Of q
large crowd, for the following was found upon
the walls:
20, landlord, you did great to get Us them
CHAIRS"
An after-election echo is found in the follow
ing inscription on a wall:
"Hurrah for the Saltyarders."
BILL POSTING PROFITABLE
The business of bill posting and wall engrav-
ing was big one in those days. Messrs In
fantion, Onessimus and Victor were the most
popular bill posters in town. each on his own
account until Infantio announced that he had
associated with him Messrs Florus, Faustus
and Sabinus. who would be glad to see their
former friends and patrons at Mr. Infantio's
old stand. where bill posting would be exc
cuted with neatness and dispatch, and the pa
tronage Of the public respectfully solicited
certain baker named Titus Genianus who
had shop on the corner with a side wall run
ming back TO the alley, rented his wall to the
bill posters, and this was one of the favorite
bulletin boards Of the town, where candidatr'
names were announced before election and the
returns posted on election night.
Vatia, the sporting candidate, was wise
enough TO employ the most skillful posters, and
all of his signs were carefully executed, but