Year: 1861




an article without signature and why the
author should be ashamed to write under his
proper signature cannot imagine, for there
is no doubt bis object is laudable and his pro-
position should be encouraged, and it contains
sentiments and opinions to which | most
heartily subscribe and encourage. And as
the writer remarks many persons are apt TO
be governed By party feelings and party pre-
JUDGES, all Of which should be laid aside and
never thought Of again in future, and it is
true that On the 4th Thursday in May next
the voters Of Virginia will again be called
upon to exercise the highest and dearest po-
litical privilege ever conferred upon man, that
Of choosing and electing their representatives
and under which all must live It is most
glorious privilege and all should duly appre-
ciate 81 high privilege, and We should Be
cautious who those persons should be IRE
spectre " party tics and il i 40 less impor-
tant that all should have ! voice il selecting
as well As electing, and if the people are ca
pablc of elccting they are equally capable Of
choosing who they shall ~.


The people of Preston county arc entitled
to two representatives and Is it any more than
just and right that those representatives
should bc selected from each side of Cheat
river, the population Is about equal on each
side, and To select from each side would be
dividing and cqualizng our representation
and by " doing would crafty the wants and
necessities of each section Of the county. and
it would DO doing nothing more than justice
to each section, and We should look carefully
to qualifications and experience, and above Ill
considerations We should fix upon good con
stitutlonal Union men, and particularly now
and under the present dcranged, excited and
distracted condition Of the country. ! say
when our beloved country il convulscd as
with an earthquake from one end to the 9th
er, il j. now rent asunder, and i'll fragments
and the Bonds which barely holds the frag-
mcnts together are almost exhausted, another
shock or two and the old ship of state is for
ever lost, All look upon our national calamity
and condition with the most agonlzlng and
intense solictude, if it is possible to select
men who ATE capable Of checking the raging
billows, in which we are now cngulphed, and
that daily threaten Us, for one implore you
to do 81, and it is high time our people was
looking out for qualified, Jealous, patriotic,
| firm, unwayering, constitutional Union men
The question then is who are those men pos
sessing those qualities 1 would say if am
permitted to express my opinion that Major
VIM. B. Zinn is one Of those men, he is a
| NMginan by birth, education, interest, and
feeling, he il a farmer, and an unWayering
Union man. And Major David Stemple is
another and he i q farmer as noble hearted
Virginan as ever lived Of the most unexcep-
tionablc character, he has done well for him
self, and will if elected 40 well for the public,
and German Settlement, not for the last 35
o. Az years having had representative is in
justice entitled to one Major Zinn is Of ripe
years, experienced in legislation, and once en-
joyed the confidence Of our people, you are
now called upon To select without regard to
parties 81 party ties and We call upon the
DItGhCIIluHt,4 IIOuSldS, Dell dIIu I1IIlcOIl
men all without distinction Of party most
cordially to participate in the selection Of our
next representatives, some say that the lin
coin party should be excluded because they
entertain sentiments favorable to freedom,
but that is not my doctrine. think We have
common country and We should have free
dom Of opinion and the free exercise of the
right of suffrage and if the people desire To
| fix upon their candidates. why not hold pri-
mary elections id every neighborhood in the
county and the two men, one On each side Of
the river having majority Of votes be the
candidates, and not leave it to the choice Of
I5or 20 delegates to a convention, whose
bills and expenses whilst attending said CON
vention are paid. thereby opening the door
Of success for the candidates that have the
most money and friends that arc the most
steadfiaSt in wire pulling, We have had enough
Of that heretofore, | think the people arc
tired of the silk stocking gentry to represent
/ them, they have tried them and all they have
received III return fnr their services are in
creased burdens and taxation. burdens tha;
are almost insupportable, and the prospect i
that another year and our taxes must BE- i'll
creased It least - % % per cent, our repre-
sentatiyes, our members Of the convention
and many other Official gentlemen must all
be paid and the people must pay il


! Would it not De as well at least to try two
Of our farmers, men who are the bone and
sinew Of our county men who know and feel
the true interests Of the people, Think the
people cannot Be injured much by trial.


| Now these are my sentiments, and / most
earnestly recommend them to the favorable