The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-05-14
msJor BrIstor...The methodIsts..-The
Soldier.
Editors IntcIligeneer:

EuttUio 4HhSHtyS''tO'
A most silly and most remarkable
communication, purporting to come
from Martinsburg, was published in
your paper OF yesterday, the 1lth. The
article Is without signature, because.
l apprehend, that the person whom
Major Bristor got TO Esther 1t WAS
ashamed TO attach any designation,
lest any non de plume he might select
would beTrHy him, ano then he, like
Cain. would have TO say that every one
that lndeth me shall slay me- ll.
The writer seems to be Wheeling
man, sOjourning four weeks in Mar
tinsburg, just at this time, toget the
votes of the ''soldiers" and .Methodists'
for Major BTistor, which strikes the
writer OF this, and may strike others,
as little odd, TO say the least of it.
Why should "our city of Wheeling"
interest itself to get Major Bristor nomi-
mated fer Congress in the second dis
! trict, by the "sOldiers" and "Metho-
dists?" Does he intend 10 intimate
/ that Major BFistor wants none but
"Soldiers" and "Methodists" to vote for
him2 Is Msjor Bristor the Soldiers
candidate, aud the Methodist candidate
several voters who are Catholics, Pres
byterians' Baptists, Episcopalians, Lu-
tn Grams, Disciples, &C., &c, &c. .a!r.i
II MajOr.BriStor is to run as a Metho-
dist ana soldiers candidate, and wants
no vote but theirs, let him say so, and
then he will get neither. And what
does the article alluded to mean, lift is
not a bid for soldier and Methodist
votes as such classes, and not because
they are Union men? Does he not
offer as a reason for their votes that he
wHs a soldier at Martinsburgh Eand
taught a class in the Methodist sun
day School at that placer In The arti-
Gle referred 10 it is said that the sol
diers of Berkeley county have appoint
de delegates to the Convention, and in
structed them TO vote Tor Major Bris-
tor. thought IL was the. duty OF all
Union men to appoint The delegates,
bat perhaps Major Bristor disdaius all
Union votes except those of "soldiersn
and "Methodists.n But why should
soldiers of Martinsburg? Did he not
go their and organize the Grand Army
of the Republic ?Dld he do it for his
own benefit, or did he do it for Mr..
Kitchens benefit? Perhaps Major
Bristor at the same time organized the
Methodists for his benefit
Now, Messrs. Editors, the whole of
the article alluded tolls the softeSt kind
of nonsense. 1t is not only soft, but
it is fiat, and green, and linn
sey, and sickly, ana transparent
See in what roundabout puff of
Martinsburg, (Of its thrIit-Yankee
thrift, OF it's enterprising Northern
men, embraced In two awkward sem
fences which, if they had been punctu-
ated, would have made four or five, he
gets AT the "main chance" of his letter
-Msjor Bristor, the Methodists and the
soldiers. But it will strike you, gem
tlemen, that all this thrift, Industry,
Northern element, pressure OF spring
work, and other farming interests, has
given way TO the all absor bling question
of getting Major Bristor 10 Congress.
The farmers Id not said that they are
either "sOldieTs" or ''MeIhodistst') have
all laid down the shovel and the hoe"
and with oneHoice ara yelling .Bris-
| turl Bristort Bristorl" Poor Kitchen
is slain tn.he house Of his trieudst In
his own county there are none to do
MIN reverence no, not one. Mr..
hiACheoS VINO has served us faithfully
In Congress. IS not to get a single vote
for re- nomination in his own c,Iunty,
But. gentlemen, i am sufficiently
| dlSgusted with the Bristor article with
out pursuing 1t further. Most of the
soldiers and Methodists are sensible
men, and most of them are the best
kind of Union men. They can see
through this himsy bid for their votes
as classes They can see that they
are not asked to vote for Maior
Bristor as a Union man or Re-
| pupilcauI merely, but as soldiers
and as members OF a particular church.
am sure as such they will spurn the
bid. The patriotism of the soldiers
and the well-known loyalty of the
Methodist Church, as a Church, is a
sufficient guarantee of their devotion
to Republican principles, and they
will not step 10 ask whether the Re-
publican party is represented by one
of their own GLASS. All they will want
to know will be whether the candidate
Is of unquestioned devotion to the
principles of the Republican party.
Messrs. Editors, speak thus freely
because am Methodist, and because
of my friendship to the soldiers and &c
all their interests, ever since the hrsl
rebel gun was fred upon Fort Sumter
aud because l desire the Republican
party to discard all sects and classes in
political matters, as we'll as all other
side issues, while at the same time,
admit the patriotism of Major Brist0r
go ta Very truly yours,
a REPUHLICAN
Of uIe2d Congressional District.
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