The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-06
POLITICAL CLUB EQUIPMENTS.
Preposterous Effects for Little M~oney-Nine
~ Cents Worth of SpIendor.

preposterous Effects for Little Money-Nine-
~ Cents Worth of Splendor.
New York sun.
Every presidential campaign there is a big
boom In campaign goods and political equip-
ments. A score or firms are in the business now
in New York. which is the headquarters for the
torches, uniforms, and banners or the country.
For three and q half years out of every four
these firms have not even . sign, but the six
months from the nominating conventions to
election day furnish all the business they can
handle. The prices Of all the firms for the same
quality OF goods are about alike, but almost
every firm has q speciality. Some run to ban
ners. others to campaign equipments, uniforms
and torches Transparencies and banners are
two seperate branches of business, though they
are much alike So are uniforms and torches. for
every uniformed man has a torch OF some kind,
though not every torch-besrer has q uniform.
In the prics-lists OF campaign goods the srti-
cles are divided under the heads OF uniforms.
shirts. caps and helmets, flags. torches. banners,
portraits, belts and plumes. 1t is possible to 90
into further details, but these divisions include
everything in general campaign use outside OF
the badges, buttons and canes. which are not
kept In the general stock. as they are usually
patented articles, which the campaign firms will
get, but which they do not keep IN stock. All
goods are to be paid for on delivery. There is
as little credit given in campaign goods as in
any other line. This is made necessary by the
temporary life OF the campaign clubs, which
| generally have no life aud no assets after cleo
ton. To old political clubs which exist in and
out Of presidential seasons credit Is given, but
they are all.
Ordinary uniforms range in price from 90
cents to So. The prices can be run up as high
as tho club wishes nv ordering special suits of
special goods. Good suits Of clothes are some
tunes used, and here the tailor's estimate should
be taken, as campaign firms do not go into this
business themselves. For 80 cents you can get
q white. twenty-six-inch cape, with . red collar,
a navy cap. red, with a blue band. white strap.
bound visor and gilt eagle, and a doubleswine
torch. This sounds like getting q good deaf
| cheap, but really there 10 not so much Of IL, and
the gross and hundred rates cut under the 80
cents. SO as to make it cheaper. The whole
thing 10 cheaply made, and will not outlast one
campaign. For this price you can have your
choice of red or blue collars; likewise with the
colors of the cap. To substitute 8 thirty-inch
white cape, trimmed with q fourinch red or
blue border. and a red or blue collar, with a
white fatigue cap with a red crown, q blue band
and a red strap, or with the colors reversed,
will cost 80 cents more. The bound visor, the
gilt eagle and the double-swinR torch 60 along,
as with the cheaper uuiforma
Gilt costs extra. A gilt cape takes q quarter
more than a white cape and q gilt strap Is
thrown in. A silver cape costs % much as a
gilt cape. A white, red or blue cape, with a
gu. strap, costs $3.50. The gut strap makes 8
difference of 10 cents. They are all the Same
size, thirty inches, with a four-inch collar. and
the bound visors, gilt eagles and gaudy trap
pings that are essential to rural enjoyment 60
with them. A lapel ana CUTS out tho price up
to g. 21. Another inch is added to the cape,
making it thirty-one inches The gilt eagle,
bound visor, double-swing torch. and a navy
cap with q red crown, blue band and white
strap go along with the red collar, lapel and
cuffs. These come in three colors, with the
color of the cap, collar and other fxines
changed to suit. Gilt and silver cost % cents
more for this style.
Up toward So aud 81 the equipments increase
in grandeur. The Goa, may be either red, white,
blue, Gilt. silver or black. It is called a cape no
longer, but a coat, and it measures forty-two in
stead of thirty inches. Gilt buttoos now appear,
and a red, white or blue military collar. The
gilt. eagle-bound visor and doubls-swing torch
still cling. For So so a cape thirteen inches long
goes with the coat. and the paraphernalia in
clude collar, lapel, cuffs. gilt buttons, navy cap,
without a visor ct last, white band and a strap
over the crown. Our old friend. the gilt eagle
and the double swine-torch, are hers, toe. By
paying fifty cents or a dollar more You get q
Continental or zouave uniform. with a musket
torch. A three-cornered hat and plume 60 with
the Continental uniform. Tho zouave uniform
consists OF a dropping blue waist-blouse, some
things, red and baggine, called pants" . Turk
isn cap and long tassel. and leggings. Gorge
business beyond this Is not kept In regular
stock.
AS cheap a way as any to get q flannel shirt is
10 go to a campaign equipment store, and the
througs OF the fannslshirt society will be
swollen by the formation OF campaign clubs. A
shirt front OF any shape or color and with any
kind of q monogram on it will cost 40 cents or q
few cents more. The whole shirt can be bought
as cbeaply A neat white flannel shirt with q
blue flannel collar, embroidered bosom and
cuffs, aud portraits OF the candidates pasted on
over the breast within ia embroidery, costs
only IS cents or less by the gross. You can have
il in blue or red flannel just as easily and cheap
II, and it costs nothing more, no matter whose
picture you have pasted on the breast Fifteen
cents extra will embroider the bosom with orange
colored silk and put a monogram on IL in any
color. Forty cents more will put on a red fan
mel collar aud bosom aud trim the shirt half an
inch with a gilt band. For the same price
there is the choice of a silver band and q blue
collar or q black bosom, collar and cuffs, with
the bust Of the candidate woven in with light
spun brass and silver besides. The price list
truthfully comments on this, decidedly new
and dashy." Undoubtedly 1t is az dashy as any
thing can be for S1.40 or less by the eross.
There are other shirts with gilt braid and four
colors, but they do not come up to the ''brown
mixed tweed, with black bosom, collar and
cuffs, with bust of candidate of light spun brass,
silvered, and covering the entire BOSOM
Caps aud helmets run from 80 cents. or %
cents by the gross. up to $225. Navy caps in
any color are cheapest. fatigue caps 8 cents
| higher, and gilt and silver caps 5 cents more.
Red. white or blue helmets, with q plume Of
three black ostrich feathers and q pine cone
plume holder are Sl.15. These are gorgeous.
An 18inch plume. instead OF the ostrich feath-
ers, is 5 cents cheaper. A red. white or blue
helmet, with only a fountain plume 10 50 cents.
A fine Gilt spike or gilt plume is S. cents more.
feather, tip or pompon. to 60 with q Continent
nj uniform, or a zouave cap OF red felt, with a
9-ipch yellow tassel. Military caps with a
pompou are ouly 60 cents. A chapeau with an
lS-inch ostrich plume and in in front is
the top thing In the hat line ~ $2.2a This is