1Do you remember often reading what fierce disputes the ballot law aroused, and how much glory or blame it brought its proposer? 2But now in the senate this same thing has been approved without any dissent as the best course: everyone demanded ballots on election day. 3We had certainly outdone the licence of popular assemblies with that open and undisguised voting. 3Neither the time for speaking, nor the decorum of silence, nor even the dignity of remaining seated was observed. 4There was loud and discordant shouting on all sides, everyone rushed forward with his own candidates, there were many groups in the middle, many knots of people, and an unseemly confusion; 4so far had we departed from the custom of our fathers, among whom everything was orderly, measured and calm, and preserved the majesty and decorum of the place.
5There are old men still living from whom I often hear that this was the procedure at elections: when the candidate's name was called, there was utter silence; 5he spoke for himself; 5he gave an account of his life, and produced as witnesses and supporters either the man under whom he had served, or the man to whom he had been quaestor, or both if he could; 5he added some of his backers; 5they spoke with gravity and in few words. 5This did more good than entreaties. 6Sometimes a candidate would criticise his rival's birth, or his age, or even his character. 6The senate listened with the gravity of censors.
6Thus the worthy more often prevailed than the well-connected. 7These practices, now corrupted by excessive partisanship, have had recourse to the secret ballot as to a remedy; 7and for the present it has clearly been a remedy — for it was new and sudden — but I fear that as time goes on faults may arise from the remedy itself. 8For there is a danger that shamelessness may creep in with secret ballots. 8For how few have the same care for honour in secret as in public? 9Many fear their reputation, few their conscience. 9But I am speaking too soon of the future: meanwhile, thanks to the ballots, we shall have as magistrates those who most deserved to be made so.
9For as in the courts of recuperators, so in these elections we, caught as it were by surprise, have been honest judges. 10I have written this to you, first so as to write you some news, and secondly so as sometimes to speak about public affairs, a subject which, the rarer the opportunity for it is for us than for the ancients, the less we should let it pass. 11And, by Hercules, how long must we have those commonplaces? 11'How are you doing? 11Are you keeping well?' 11Let our letters too have something that is not lowly or mean, nor confined to private affairs. 12Everything, it is true, is under the control of one man, who for the common good has alone taken upon himself the cares and labours of all; 12yet by a wholesome arrangement certain streams flow down to us too, as it were, from that most generous source, which we can both drink from ourselves and, as it were, serve to absent friends by letter.
12Farewell.