The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-02-27
POLITICS In PoMPEIL.
How Municipal Elections We're
Managed Before the Eruption
The Ward System and Primaries Were
the Same Those of Our Modern
Cities = BaIlot-Box Stuff1ng
Known the Ancients.


Cities = BaIlot-Box Stufang
Known TO the Ancients.
The Pompeiians were in the midst
of hot political campaign when the
city was destroyed by lava and ashes'
A. d. 70. DIR. James c. Yelling, presi-
dent of the Columbian university at
Washington, has been studying the
features of this ancient election, as
they are recorded upon the walls and
billboards which in those days took
the place of newspapers. In very in
teresting lecture before the Anthropo-
logical society, he gives a description
of ward politics in Pompem more than
eighteen hundred years ago. 1t sounds
astonishingly like the story of modern
elections, with ward-meetings primar-
les and appeals for candidates. The
CITY seems to have had thoroughly
equipped political machine" Polit-
ical clubs were numerous. Some of
them were evidently composed of ''the
boys;" the Little Thieves, for instance,
the Late Topers and the Sleepy Heads.
Municipal elections were held once
wear, and any citizen was at liberty to
run for Office. His intention to do SO
was made known by his friends post
ing his name on the billboards and
walls about the city. One Titus Ge-
marius, baker, who had shop on
corner with side wall running back
along an alley, made a handsome
thing" by renting it for bulletin
boards.
After candidates name had been
posted for some time, he could tell
pretty well whether he stood any
chance of winning. If he saw that he
did not, he went to the chief sclectman
and asked to have his name withdrawn;
but if he thought his chances pretty
good, his name was put on the white
list after which there was no back
ing out.
The system of wards and primary
elections was practically the same as
that followed in New York to-day.
The electors chosen at the primaries
met at the Forum on election day to
deposit their ballots, and fell into line
as men do at the polls now. There were
three Judges of election, and each can
didate was permitted to station one of
his own men at the ballot box, to see
that no intimidation was practised.
The ballot box was very closely
watched, fact which seems to show
that ballot box stufing was not un-
known even then. The candidate who
carried a majority of the wards was
elected. It will be seen that this gave
the machine" a fine opportunity for
a gerrymander.
The POmpeiians ''whooped it up for
their candidates in the true modern
style. Thus. the Late Topers, who had
their headquarters opposite the forum.
announced their preferences on bill
board as follows: 1.-The Late Topers beg
their friends to vote for Marcus
Lavinius Vatia for @dile.':
Vatia. who was favorite in sport
ing circles, evidently had some money
to spend in the legitimate expenses OF
his campaign. for all his notices and
announcements are well got up. His
rival. Popidius, either did not look
after his campaign, or else had nc
money to employ competent bill
poster for his notices are nisspelled,
| and in all respects unequal to Vatia S.
Thebus, a tavernl1eeper on. the Via
Storta, wanted C. Gavius Rufus and NJ.
| Holconius Priscus elected duumvirs
They had probably promised to get his
taxes lowered, or that the police should
let his place alone. Therefore Thebus
had all the walls in his neighborhood
decorated with ::'Thebus and his Gus
toners nominate c.. Gavius Rufus and
NJ. Holconius Priscus for duunvirs. ,,
The electors did not mind stirring uI
candidates who expected their friends
to do all the work for them. One in
| scription reads: so Eubonius, keeI
your eyes openr' And Infans is prod
ded as follows: so Infans, you are fas1
asleep, and yet you say you are elec
tioneering!"
There was tavern in the first wart
where primary wasN probably held
At any rate, large crowd had assem-
bled, and the landlord very obligingl5
provided seats. For this he was re
warded by an inscription on the wall
The sentiment was better than th'
grammar:
so, landlord, you did great to get III
them chairs!'' -4zsaaseezzasss zzasss-<sszszs-.---
Unluckily, DIR. yelling could fnc
no record of how this election turned
out. Probably the 23d and oath of Au
gust came before election day arrived