province of Sardinia was entrusted to him, and he strained every nerve to
make his government present as strong a contrast as possible with the lax
and corrupt administration of the nobles who took Scipio for their pattern.
The troops were sternly disciplined, and law-breakers of every kind
severely dealt with; in money matters the strictest economy prevailed; all
gifts from provincials to Roman officers were forbidden. The praetor, the
great representative of Roman power, passed from town to town attended by a
single servant.

In 196 Cato was occupied with his canvass for the consulship of the year
195, to which he was elected in company with his friend Flaccus. Cato was
the first _novus homo_ elected since C. Flaminius, the consul of 217. It is
probable, though not certain, that he paved the way to his election by
carrying the first of the _leges Porciae_, restricting the right of
punishing Roman citizens. During the whole of his career Cato showed a high
sense of the importance of the individual _civis Romanus_.

One of the first official acts of the new consul was to deliver a set
speech to the people against a proposal to repeal the Oppian law, passed
twenty years before, the object of which was to prevent lavish expenditure
on dress and adornments, particularly by women. We have a lively report of
Cato's speech from Livy's pen, partly founded on the speech as published by
Cato himself.[39] The earnest pleading in favor of simple manners and
economy failed, after having almost caused an open insurrection on the part
of the women.[40]

The two new provinces in Spain, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior, were still
in a very unsettled state. The nearer province was made a consular province
and assigned to Cato; the praetor who governed the farther province was
also placed under Cato's jurisdiction. Before leaving Rome Cato carried a