The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
DULL TIMES FOR
THE G|MCRACK MEN
There is No Demand for Cam
paign Souvenirs
MANY SAMPLES OFFERED
Men Who Puzzled Their Brains to De-
wise Novelties Have Been Left
Out in the Cold Songs Also
Missing.
MANY SAMPLES OFFERED
BY w. w. PRICE.


mark, but a man who has invested
good many thousands in manufacturing
campaign buttons and other devices and
is in a fair way to be on the wrong side
of the market when the campaign is
over.
i've been in this business forty years"
he went on, land l never saw a worse
year for my business. The people just
simply don't care and they won't warm
up at all There is a little excitement
now, inasmuch as the campaign is clos-
ing, but nobody is deeply concerned and
few people outside of boys and girls are
buying anything in my line.
The chairman of both the great parties
are disposed to sympathize with the but
ton and campaign device man. His bust
ness nose agrees with their political
judgment that there has not been in
many years so dead campaign so far
as outward show and excitement are
concerned. Buttons and devices are seen
in shop windows, where such things are
sold, but the retail men agree that there
| is practically no business in that line.
Men, boys and girls occasionally drop in
and purchase something that strikes
them as unique but there is apparently
no partisan zeal or enthusiasm in their
actions. Here and there a man passes
! along Broadway, or mingles with the peo-
pie around headquarters, with a button
displayed in his coat or one of the new
tangled baggage fobs hanging from his
waistcoat or trousers pocket.
Peddlers Also Agree.
hn frf,
TWenty-third street earnestly, yea, fer
vently, join the button jobber in agreeing
that the people are unconcerned this year
and don't care whether they wear a but
ton, fob, or any other old thing. The toy
fakir has stock of campaign devices on
hand that he has been forced to leave
at home and display his usual stock of
rubber and other trick games that he
may make E. living.
Others say that it is not apathy after
all but simply failure of the public to
respond to the attempts of manufacturers
TO make certain devices fashionable this
year. This IS not a button year, they
claim, and fads of that kind have pass
ed out of style for the present They may
be revived at any time, but the people
want something new. This is shown, it is
pointed out, by the fact that about the
only thing that is catching on in the cam
paign is the baggage fob. Everybody re-
members -, because it reminds one of
his trips away from home and his ex-
perience with the baggage man. This de-
vice is not exclusive to either party and
the partisan is able to buy fob that will
check him to either Parker or Roosevelt
and show just who he is supporting this
time. There are no end of buttons and
other devices, but they are not being
sold. The buttons differ little from past
campaigns IN any way, showing neither
originality nor artistic work They sim
ply contain the faces of the democratic
or republican nominees. Sometimes the
faces of Parker and Davis or of Roosevelt
and Fairbanks are on the same button.
Again the face of Parker or of Roosevelt
takes up the entire button.
At the beginning of the campaign demo-
cratic and republican headquarters were
flooded with sample buttons and devices.
I'VE respectfully submit the enclosed
sample of campaign button. We consider
it the best that has ever been turned
out. 1t ought to prove a winner for your
party this year" That is about the style
of the letters received at both head
quarters, and each wound up with a re-
quest that the button be given the official
endorsement of the committee. Taggart
had something more important to think
about and Cortelyou considered such
X.
party, therefore, adopted campaign but
ton this year, and the manufacturers put
their own designs on the market If they
felt disposed to take the risk. Many a de-
sign, however. has never gone beyond
the initial stage. Lack of money to invest
in manufacture, lack of confidence to
push the scheme, have hidden the crea-
tons of much ante-election brainwork.
An Attractive Device.
About the most attractive device of the
year is not on the market at all. The man
who patented it sold 1t to a big whisky
concern and that concern is placing it
among friends and customers without
charge. 1t is worth something too. being
about the most expensive of the cam
paign novelties. This souvenir is a gun
metal watch, well made and fairly good
time-keeper. In the rear of the watch Is
a small opening or face. Into this face,
with every tick of the watch, comes the
portraits of famous republicans or DEM
ocrats, according to the politics of the
man who receives the present. Lincoln
Grant, Mckinley Roosevelt are the four
| faces that alternately appear in the open
| ing with each tick of the watch. The
democratic faces are Jefferson, Jackson
| Cleveland and Parker. The machinery is
| made to turn the photos every time a
| second is registered
| Whether it Is apathy or lack OF FASHION
| that causes the campaign catch-penny to
| begging this year 1t. is a matter of his
| tory that the great campaign of 1896 saw
| the heighth of the button fad. That year
| was the beginning of prosperity so far
! as BIN" and other button men were
concerned. The other part of the indus
trial world began to make money later
! on. but the button men reaped harvest
that year. and they attribute it to the
fact that the people were intensely work
edup. full of notions of patriotism and
rescue of country, and deeply DESTROYS OF
| displaying their intentions. The silver
men, at that time firmly convinced of the
accuracy and righteousness of their po-
sition, indicated the courage of their con-
| victions by wearing button of all kinds.
being especially fond of button con-
| tanning Bryans celebrated remark: mo
| cross of gold no crown Of thorns.' This
| expression adorned the button and in the
! center was a cross of gold.
The campaign song will have no place
| in the history of the campaign this year,
| when it is written and yet the campaign
| poets have focked to headquarters and
| vainly sought to have their productions
endorsed. songs and music galore have
| been written and printed, but the only
| music the national committees are de-
| pending upon are the contributions of
| dollars as they fall into the plate. Mr..
| Taggart thinks that something more
| substantial than music and inspiring
words are needed to carry an election,