Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-10

Cal uiStOTy Oi the country as certain Ut
terances of famous men.
These political emblems go back further
than the period Of Jackson's administra-
ton. but there are few older than those
of that period in existence. They became
a little more plentiful in the campaigns of
Jackson. and grew in abundance. There
were more in the Harrison campaign of
1910 than in any of the others. So much
of the details has been written Of that
memorable campaign and it's incidents that
1t Is unnecessary to repeat them.
The most notable of all the ante-bellum
campaigns. however. was that of 1860 The
campaign medal figured as conspicuously
then as the button does now, and there
were hundI eds of designs. An interesting
fact Is that the medals contained more
notices, more bon mots. more inscriptions
than the buttons of recent years. The
pictures of the candidates figure more ex-
tensively. with now and then an inscrip-
ton appropriate to the party or the man.
At the National Museum is collection of
these relics, but 1t is doubtful IL the col
lection is any more valuable or extern
sive than that owned by Col. William Leg
gett Bramhall of this city.
Col. Bramhall Is the vice president of
the National Union of Republican Clubs
He is as ardent an admirer Of Mckinley as
he was of the great who first
put at the head of the republican party.
He believes that there are many SINH
larities in this campaign and in the one
In which Lincoln was first chosen Presi-
dent.
Col. Bramhall designed a number Of the
medals for the Lincoln campaign and that
accounts for his collection, although he
is noted for his collection of valuable coins
| and other forks Of art in that line.
How the Medals Were Worn.
The campaign medals of the times gone
| by were made in the shape of the coins of
that time. They bore the busts of candi-
! dates and inscriptions. The customary way
Of displaying them was to bore hole in
| them. through which ribbon was run and
| attached to the Wearer's coat or Waistcoat,
| he preferred. The medals were made
from dies, like the coin of the country.
They were made Of different materials
| the brighter ones of block tin; the darker
| ones of brass and copper.
| Occasionally a nickel-plated one would
be found. and once in while one of sill
| yer would make its appearance. The
| medals were turned out, like the buttons
Of today, by manufacturers, for sale to
| enthusiastic partisans. In the Lincoln
campaign the manufacturers all made
| money because Of so many candidates In
| the field and because of the intense inter-
| est. Nearly everybody wore a medal then
and there was no difficulty in telling how
| man stood.
The nearest approach to a button in the
| Lincoln campaign was a me0al-like affair
which held in place tin-type photographs
of the candidates. Lincoln and his run
| ming mate, Hannibal Hamlin, were pic
tured on opposite sides of the republican
| medal. The names under the pictures were
| all the reading matter on the medals. The
| pictures we're good. The same manufac
turer also turned out these things for the
other parties. presenting Douglas and John
son, Breckenridge and Lane and Bell anG
| Everett.
| The Wideawakes.
One Of the first buttons Of the Lincoln
campaign was the size Of cent of that
day. The bust on the diverse side was OBJ
tanned from profile picture sent to Col
Bramhall. Around the bust was Abraham
Lincoln. Natus Feb. II. 1907 On the re-
verse side was this: Abraham Lincoln
Honest Abe of the West. The Hannibal OF
America. 1900" This was changed later
and in place of the inscription on the re
verse side "Wideawakes" was put in it
| place. History tells of the "Wideawakes.
1t was an organization of marching clubs
formed in the interest of Lincoln. The frs
one was organized at Hartford, Conn.
which got out a unique medal of its own
The members Of the Hartford Wideawake,
wore oilcloth capes and caps and carried
torches. The officers carried a cane and