The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-21
FALK
CLOTHING
co.
KNOWN BY THEIR HATS.
A COngressman's Head Covering
Generally Tells From What Sec
tiOn He Comes.

ton He Comes.
From the Philadelphia Press.
The southern congressman would almost
as soon think of changing his politics as
changing his SLOUGH hat. 1t is true there
are some exceptions, but these exceptions
are usually among members who have
been in congress for years and who have
accommodated themselves to the fashions
that belong to the east. The new men,
Der from the south can be detected imme-
diately by the black sombrero and the cut
and style of his clothing. The full-skirt-
ed black frock coat and low-cut vest,
showing an extensive shirt front, are still
worn by the young and ambitious states
men who wish to patronize the style of
nrty years ago. and whose clothes seem
to be cut according to the fashion repre-
scented In pictures and portraits of con-
gressmen of that period. After the new
member has been in Washington a year
or TWO he generally conforms to the pre-
Vailing fashion as far as his coat and his
trousers are concerned, but he seldom
yields to the demand Of fashion so far as
to- forswear the black SLOUGH hat.
There are q few of these southern men
now in congress who have yielded TO the
influences Of northern and eastern sur
roundings so far as to wear high silk
risk to their sanding among their col
leagues and to their reputation at home.
The ,5,e southerners always speak OF their
Tyler of Virginia, son Of the late Presi-
dent Tyler is one Of the old-time south
ern members. He was advised by friend
the other day to purchase a beaver"
and conform TO the prevailing style in
Washington.
NO, sir" said Mr.. Tyler. 'if 1 were to
wear beaver and my constituents down
in Virginia Were to hear of IL that would
be the end of my career as representa-
tive"
One of the exceptions to wearing the
black SLOUGH hat is Representative Catch
ings, of Mississippi, who either appears
on the streets In a derby or in a. shining
silk tile. But when Mr.. Catchings visits
his districts down south he appears among
his 'neighbors and constituents in the
regulation soft hat of ante-bellum days.
Representative Grain of Texas is another
exception TO the general rule. All of the
other members of the Texas delegation
including both senators, wear nothing but
the brOad-brimmed black hat. and cannot
be induced to change their style. Mr.. Grain
has made a concession to the custom of
the north so far as to wear a silk hat
continually. He has been reelected to con-
gress, so that II is not proven that deser-
ton of the sombrero Of the south means
the political demise Of a statesman from
that section.
Western congressman often wear stiff
derby hats. but very few of them put on
the more snowy silken tile When they do
they make themselves liable to the criti-
ciSm Of their colleagues and constituents
who look upon a man who wears a high
silk hat as being. stuck up" There are
some of them who when away from the
eyes of their immediate constituents are
apt to discard the dress of the west for the
more fashionable attire that is supposed
to be worn in the east.
For the most part the men from the
middle and New England states conform
to the general idea of what is the proper
dress at different hours of the day. Their
head dress is usually selected after a con-
sultation of recognized authorities of fash
ion, and there are probably more silk hats
worn by members east of the Alleghanies
and north of the Potomac than among all
the other congressman put together. There
are different varieties of silk hats, how
ever, and it is not difficult to distinguish
the different localities from which the
members come.
A Philadelphia member wears what
might be termed conservative" hat. 1t is
eminently respectable, but its block is
sometimes sugges tive of those prevailing
some years ago. New Workers, appear in
the newest, shindest, and most extravagant
styles. But in New England they do not
seem to care very much about the style
as long as their head covering is Of the
"StoVepipe" order.