The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1884-12-27
CAMPAIGN RELICS.
WHAT BECOMES OF THE PARADE
PARAPHERNALiA
Thousands Of Uniforms, Torches, uolmee6
Flags and Banners Falling into ~
Hands Of the Small Boy and
the Junkman.
New York Ster.1

All the pomp and circumstance ok tAe
&. Curious political war arc over, and the I'M
poing pageants are things Of the past The
martial music, thu brilliant fambeaux, the
gayly caprisoned horsemen and the hand
somely equipped civic infantry win be sesn
no more until next election. To many per-
sons who have witnessed the imposing pol;t-
ical demonstrations Of the past few weeks Il
will prove interesting to know few facts In
connection with the work necessary to at out
the hosts Of 10th parties with campaign
goods. The manufacture and sale Of these
outfits give employment to a large number of
men, and require the investment Of consider
able capital Ephemeral utility Of the ar
ticles used in professions necesdtatss
that the materials out of which they
are manufactured be not too ex-
pensive, and, like the spangles ON the goSa-
mer garments Of the danseuse, they are in
tended to be moro ornamental than useful
A Broadway firm. which make speciality of
manufacturing campaign goods, gave some
interesting facts to q reporter in rela-
ton to tie extent of the business carried On
in this limo. l. is estimated that nearly g.
000.000 was invested in political goods
throughout the country this year, SONS firms
carrying as high as $1,000 worth Of stock.
The campaign goods business was greatly d.
viied this year, many hat manufacturer
going largely into the making Of helmets and
number Of fancy goods houses supplying
tie market with shirts
Another class of men who are pecuniarily
benafited by political contests are the manu-
facturers Of banners and transparencieA 4
Duane street firm provided 1000 worth q
business during the recent campaign, and
could have made half as much again Il they
desired to turn out inferior work. Probably
100000 has been spent in New York city and
Brooklyn alone for signs, banners and trans
perenc;es. To a person of an inquiring turn
Of inind, the following question must Sre-
quently suggest itself: "What becomes Of a0
this pararhcrralia after electionr In he
first place there are the torchea After hav.
ing been utilized in parades the torch b
comes the property of the muldtudinoua
gamin, who organizes demonstration Of his
own ON small scale. With the aid Of de.
carded campaign attire, he marches with
comrades of his own througha q number ct the
city streets until his patriotic caresr y
brought to wholesome stop by the armed
Intervention of the unsympatheticp patrolmaD
in blue. The torch, after figuring In these
puerile pageants, underyoes as many viciast-
tudes as the average mortal, and occasion
ally winds up as the solitary illuminator &
soma Italians chestnut stand
There is horrible fascination about uni
form to young men, whether it be the gsudy
trappings of the militia or the tawdry nnesy
of campaign outfit, which under the cha1i
table radiance of the electric light, assumes
an almost princely splendor. The fair ssx r
rot Indifferent to the attractive appearance 13
a corps of robust young fellows, all similarly
attired, and this, perhaps, is why tho Average
young man roles himself in suit which, IN
his lucid intervals, he would shun a. hs
would the yellow fever. The garments ula
Elately became tie booty Of the small boy.
WAC dons them with serene satisfaction
that belongs only to boyhood, and goes forth
ccnquering and to be conquered. On the
cast side Of town in the thickly populated
districts, tho immense number Of young
hoodiums and the frequency Of their pa
rades within the past ten days appalled, the
somnolent peeler and woke him up Hie
raids on tie enthusiastic urchins carried d.
may into their ranks, and they generally 10.
tired in confusion, leaving munitions of
war, in tho shape Of torches, flags, etc., in
the possession of their natural enemy, the 20
liccelan.
But New Work is not the only town wherein
great political professions are held. AL over
the leErht and breadth of the land the ire
pressble aldcr of political enthusiasts finds
vent in parades anI fireworks, bon6res aud
stump sreeches. The transient nature Of po-
litical paraphernalia obtains all over the
country, and after being used once Is genes.
ally lost sight of forever. The ordinary
American citizen is gifted with sound
stratum Of common sense. and he can nearly
always see through the Transparent devicol
of professional politicians when they try 70
stimulate factitious enthusiasm for certain
candidates. After the heat of the LATHE most
men return to the ordinary affairs OF life
keep an eye well peeled for the main chance.
and in such individuals the trappings OF
campaign can awaken no memories Of ex-
ultation, and tee torches and clothes are in
continently flung away. The ubiquitous
junk dealer derives probably as much bone
ft as any body from the discarded uniforms,
because rags have a market value always,
and he usually falls i'll for tho great propov-
tion of the clothing.
Owing to the business of campaign goods
being divided up among SO many manufac-
turers, there was less profit this year than In
any preceding presil ilential year. Four years
ago there was more money spent for political
outfits than in the season just passed Ono
firm had 60,000 torches left on its hands,
which had been made with the expectation
of selling them to q local political leader.