sliked by the
commissioner or his supporters, the election could be set aside on the
ground that the person elected was not an adherent of the revolution.

The elections were often held in a singular manner, as in the following
case: [369]--

"On August 20, 1898, four men of Tondo appeared before Aguinaldo on
Bacoor and announced that they were representatives of the people
of the district, who loved liberty. Then in accordance with the
directions of the president of the republic under the supervision of
the secretary of the interior, they drew lots from a hat to decide how
the offices of the head of the district, delegate of police, delegate
of the treasury and delegate of justice were to be distributed. The
decision having been made in this simple fashion, Aguinaldo gravely
approved the election as expressing the will of the people. Perhaps
it did, for they seem to have continued, at least for a time, to obey
them. On November 14, 1898, Aguinaldo again approved an election for
local officials in Tondo which since August 13 had been within the
American lines."

On August 23 San Carlos, in Pangasinan Province, a town of twenty-three
thousand people, elected its officials under the new form of
government. The presidente chosen was a well-known member of the
Katipunan, and before the election was held announced his intention
of killing any one who was chosen for the position for which he was a
candidate. [370] He was accordingly elected. In spite of this grave
informality, an informality which formed one ground for a protest
on the part of some of the people of the town, Aguinaldo approved
the election.

On October 21, 1898, an election was held under the supervision of
the military commander in Camarines for the municipal officials of the
town of Yriga. [371] The voting was oral, and a secretary wrote down
the votes for the two candidates under direction of the commissioner,
who finally announced that the candidate whose friend he was had been
elected, but without stating how many votes he had received. This
newly elected head of the town had the town crier on the following
night publish through the streets an address to the people, in which
he thanked those who had voted for him and warned those who had not
that it would be well for them to beware. The Spanish law known as
the Maura Law, which regulated the elections in the municipalities
under the Spanish government, provided for a limited electoral body,
compose