The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-21
CONTINUED from Yesterday.)

At all events, MI. Lincoln and Cen
eral Hardin were the two. and the only
two. candidates for the wing nomlna-
ton In 1916. The contest was much
like the n with Baker. and Lincoln
was assailed In much the same fashion.
He was called a deist and an infidel,
both before ind after his nomination
and encountered In n less degree the,
same opposition from the members of.
certain religious bodies that had met
him before. But With Hardin he main
atained personal relations the most
friendly. The latter proposed to alter
the mode of making the nomination,
and In the letter conveying this desire
10 Mr.. Lincoln he also offered to stipu.
late that each candidate should remain
within the limits of his own county.
To this Mr.. Lincoln replied. .As to
your proposed stipulation that all the
candidates shall remain In their own
counties and restrain their friends to
the same. 1t secms to me TINT on re-
Election you will e the fact OF your
having been in congress has In various
ways so spread your name In the dis
trict as to give yous a, decided adyan-
tage In such u stipulation. I appre.
clate your desire to keep down excite
ment. and ] promise you to keep cool
under the circumstances"
On the eGtL OF February, 1916, the
Journal contained General Hardin's.
card declining to be longer considered
a candidate" and In Its editorial com.
ments occurred the following: Eve
have had and now have no doubt that
he Hardin) has been and now Is a
great fayorlte with the Wings OF the
district. He states In substance that
there was never any understanding on.
his part that his name was not TO be
presented In the canvasses OF 1914 and
1916. This. we believe, Is strictly true.
Still, the doings of the Pelin conven-
ton did seem TO point that way, and
the generals voluntary declination as
to the cansass OF 1914 was by many
construed into an a~cquiesccnce on his
part. These things had led many of
his most devoted friends to not expect
him to be n candidate at this time.
Add to this the relation that Mr.. Lin.
coin bears and has borne to the party,
and It Is not strange that many of
those who as strongly devoted to
General Hardin as they are to Mr.. Lin.
coin should prefer the latter at this
time. We do not entertain a doubt
that II we could reverse the positions
OF the two men a very large portion of
those who now-haye supported Mr..
Lincoln most warmly would have sup
I ported General Hardin quite as warm
~" This article was admirably calcu.
lated to soothe General Hardin and to
win oyer his friends. It was wise and
timely. The editor was Mr.. Lincoln's
intimate friend. It is marked by Mr..
Lincoln's style and has ut least
expression which was peculiar. to him.
In its Issue Of May 4 the Journal an
nounced the nomination as having been
made at Petersburg IN the Friday pre-.
tyious and said further: "Tlis nomina.
ton was. Of course. anticipated. there
being no other candidate In the field.
Mr.. Lincoln, we all know, Is a good
Wing, a good man, an able speaker,
and richly deserves, as he enjoys, the
confidence OF the wings of this district
and Of the state"
Peter Cartwright. the celebrated pIo.
neer Methodist preacher. noted for his
piety and combativeness, was Mr.. Lin.
coins competitor before the people.
We know already the nature Of the
principal charges against Mr.. Lincoln's
personal character and these, with the
usual criticism Upon Wing policy,
formed the staple topics OF the CAM
paign on the Democratic side. But
Peter himself did not escape with that
impunity which might have been ex-
pected in the case Of a minister of the
gospel. Rough tongues circulated ex.
aggerated stories Of his wicked pug.
nacity and his worldly mindeduess
while the pretended servant Of the
Prince OF Peace. Many Democrats
looked with intense disgust upon his
present candidacy and believed that
by mlngling in politics he was degrad.
Ing his office and polluting the church.
One OF these Democrats told MI. Lin.
coin what he thought and said that.
although 1t was a hard thing to vote
against his party, he would do it IL II
should be necessary to defeat Cart
wright. MI. Lincoln told him that on
the day of the election he would give
him a candid opinion as to whether
the vote was needed or not. Accord
ingly on that day he called upon the
gentleman and said, 81 have got the
preacher and don't want your
vote"
Clay's majority in this district in 1914
had been but 914, whereas 1t now gave
Mr.. Lincoln a majority of 1,511 in a
year which had no president-l excite
ments to bring out electors. In 1913
General Taylor's majority was smaller
by ten, and the same year the Wing
candidate for congress was defeated
by Jog.
In the following letter to Mr.. Speed
he intimates that the first sensations
Of pleasure attending his new. distinc-
ton were not of long duration; at least
that there were moments In which, II
he did not forget his greatness. Il at
So