Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-07-23
Guupets GIurksburg Rrsiatar
CLARKsBURG, FRIDAY, JULY 81, 1858.
Is the NJ. e. Church to be made Po-
liticaI Engine!

It is said, in certain quarters, that the
NJ. E. Church intends taking decided
stand against one Of the candidates for
Clerk of the County Court at the ensuing
special election. What of truth there is
in this rumor, time will develope; but it
would be strange spectacle. indeed. to
see a church in Virginia abandon its high
calling to follow in the footsteps of the
fanatics of New England, and throw itself
into the political arena to be dragged
through the mire and dirt of politics.
If this course should be resolved upon,
it can scarcely expect to come out of the
contest unstained and untarnished. One
would suppose that the result of the ex>
pertinent made in this way in the prospe-
rous days of Know Nothingism would be
sufficient warning against its repetition.
The excuse given for the reported as
sault is that, as editor Of this paper, the
candidate upon whom the onslaught is 20
be made. has travelled out of the path OF
his legitimate duties in opposition to the
church. This excuse is as false as the
reported contemplated action is errone>
Gus. The editor Of this paper has never
taken sides for or against any church,
He had controversy with one of the
preachers of the NJ. E. church, who had
attacked him. in which he sought to de.
fend himself, but he never held the church
responsible for the conduct OF that pr ZACH
err. and never will till it endorses his
course. Whatever else has appeared in
this paper relating to the two branches oil
the Methodist church, has been the pro-
duction Of others, and were inserted in
obedience to the duties Of an impartial
public journalist. No controversy was
ever carried on upon this subject. through
the columns Of this paper, that was not
commenced by the friends Of those who
now complain. The charge that he clos
ed his columns to one side and opened
them to the other, is without any foun-
dation whatever in fact.
But it may not be improper to inquire
into the cause Of this reported action
1t is well known that the opponents Of
the Democratic party are in small mi
nority in this county. and that they can
hope to succeed only by some trick OF
Skillful maneuyre. In the last election
all sorts Of stories were resorted to and
every device practiced to contribute to
this result. Many of the circumstances
and means which then existed and were
made use Of do not now exist, and others
must be resorted to. Our information,
which is derived from a responsible
source, is, that their only hopes of sue
cess in the approaching canvass, is in
throwing a frebrand into the Democratic
ranks, which they hope to accomplish
through the M. E. church. and every eff
fort is being made to accomplish this OBJ
ject. Whether this effort will be success
full or not, the result will prove. It re-
mains to be seen whether the members OF
this church are willing to be used as the
plant tools-the cats paw to pull chest
nuts out of the FIRE for designing dema-
gogues to eat-or not. For our part, we
cannot believe it. We cannot believe that
the members of that church will permit
themselves to be placed in so degraded
position, and incur the risk Of arraying
against themselves the balance of the
people of this county.
The Contested Election for Clerk of
the County Court.