The New York herald., 1870-08-19
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.
POLITICS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Letter from Governor Orr ON the Situation
He Opposes the Reform Union Movement,
and Goes Tor the Republican Nominees.

He Opposes the Reform Union Movement,
and Goes Tor the Republican Nominees.
From the Columbia Is. o. Phoenix, August 1871
COLUMBIA, 8. O., August is, 1870.
To THE EDITORS OF THE PHGNIx:-
MY DEAR sRs-I enclose you herewith commu.
nioaton expressing my opinions or the present po-
ltica situation in South Carolina. The publication
Of it would be gratifying to me II you have space in
your columns. am. very respectfully, yours, &C.,
JAMES L. ORR.
Mr.. EDlroR-In response to inquiries addressed to
me by my friends, In letters and otherwise l shall
proceed very briefly To state my opinions on the
vass now progressing IN this State.
shall vote lor Scott and Ransier, republican
nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
cannot vote for the nominees OF the Union
Spnse party M, because In my Judgment tas
made oy their convention will not only accom-
plish no good results, but the consequences OF the
avowed purpose OF the convention was TO effect re.
iorms In the administration Of the State govern
ment In some of its departments retrenchment
aud reform are doubless greatly needed-sOme OF Its
oticesare filled by incompetent and rough men,
who should be driven from the places they occupy
More economy in the appropriation and djsburse.
ment OF pubic money should be praclised.
How are these Objects to be attalneds The only
reforms In the State government that can be sue.
cessfully accomplished, at least for many years to
come. must be Ny anu through the republican party
and its ORGANIZATIONS They have control OF all the
departments OF the State government and have a
majority OF more than thirty thousand voters pre-
serve and perpetuate that control. SO long as an
opposing party disavowing repuOlicanism, is or
ganlzed IN the State TO defeat and dispace them,
80 long WIZ party machinery and appeals to
premacy. II We want an illustration VI the
strength and constancy OF party organization in
securing selfperpetuatl0n look 10 the State OF Ver
mont, for thirty years prior to the war, when 1t
annually rolled up Its rs 900 or more majority for the
whig party despite all the efforts OF the democracy
aided most OF the time by federal influence and
PATRONAGE. When You attempt to reform party
sor$ Il s the aR na1aSs mHSs
S sSst apress the eaen member
ment aud avert its destruction. Such an an
tagOnism has another most baleiul influence. The
most active ana Otentmes the most unscrupulous
partisans exaggcrate the Importance Of maintaining
party usage aud discipline, and the great mass OF
the honest portion OF the party are thus diverted
from careful examination into the fitness OF those
seeking to represent them, ana from abuses and
corruDuOns existing IN the party.
great Wsn ,ere ae S Of wn
cess in driving the party IN power, or its leaders
who are guilty OF misrule, from their supremacy;
out ID there such prospect In the present
The cOl0red vote Is, ana mas been from 1857, nearly
unit for the republican party, have they acted
to the republican partys suppose our conditions,
the white race. were reversed; that we and our
ancestors had been slaves for 200 years-that
party mad made war TO give US freedom-that it had
suoceeded-that the same party had perilled its own
supremacy py guaranteeing to US our civil rights,
and. above all, tue haliOt-tha efrectua weapon OF
preserving those rights-had been secured TO us by
solemn constitutional enactmenC by the same party,
and we were, IN the lace Of all this, appealed to by
those who had opposed all these great boons
nsrty 30 JON WIN them a,,rala IN overtnIowing the
iIon would any white man Tor moment s%ep toIerape
Win patlence any such proposition? Would 10 not
ne most ungra.eiul ior the coiored man to
such PARTY, when It's very existence Is now threat.
enedf Some OF ms leaders, white and cOlored may
be incompetent, corrupt treacherous; but he would
exhibits strange Oolyiousness II he would consent TO
JON an antagOnistc organization to destroy his own
party even before he mad attempted to reform 1t.
The relative population Of white and coored are
as three to four and the vote may be assumed be
the same The coiored majority Is more than 25 900.
Will sustain the republican parry anu the foregoing
views, confirmed W the experience OF the last
e years. ;bere @eeS mot GoncIusvely show.
IN departments of the State gOvernment
that It, cannol be reformed by reform party
Don't the figures show that the votes too nunle
rous on the other sde This view Of rs, 900 majority
Is on the assumption that every white man In the
state votes the reform ticket; but when the ballots
come to be cast 1t viii be found that many white re-
pubhcans In South Oarolna-many more whites
who Will vote the republican than blacks who Will
vote the reform ticket.
IL have shown that reform cannot be accom-.
pllshed through the reform party, 1t devolves
10 su0w how not only reform IL to be accomplished
but how large lnlusiOn OF the intelligence and vir
tue OF the white race can exercise It's just and leg
mate innuence IN the counsels Oh the State.
It must be done through the organization OF the
republican party. The wise and experienced In
acquire fair and legitimate influence, aid in Sc
lecting the most competent and deserving men for
plnClU pOSltlOnS Ill the republican ana when
confidence has been attained, by good laitn and
sincerity tnen the highest intelligence and virtue
will be revoked oy the republican convention for
services In the offices Of trust and responsibility
The greatest obstacle IN accepting this suggestion
by many conscientious men who nave heretofore
belonged TO democratic anu other organizations
was removed by the nominations and platform vf
the late reform convention. The distinguished
nominee OF that convention Tor Governor Is repub
lean his associate for Lieutenant Governor no less
distinguished, was formerly a democrat. The
convention was composed mainly OF gentlemen
vAd n damn
platform adopted, In its essential feature, was re-
publican; IL accepted and proposed to sustain the
fifteenth constitutional amendment, and made no
p0il cal issue with the republican party except re-
Iornh< 70 vote for either Of the nominees for Gov
ern0r1 to vote for republican; TO- sustain either
OF the platforms Is to sustain the leading features Of
republican principles. How, then, Can voter sus
tain the reform party-its nominee and platform
f.ia say his devotion to principle precludes him
from Joining the republican partyY
Before the convention met many persons objected
10 uniting with the republican party because 1t in
volved an abandonment OF political principle-demo
cratic or other. such as went into the convention
and such as now sustain Its action have broken
down that barrier, aud can very quietly and very
conscientiousiy walk into the republican ranks
especially as every one OF the old antwar issues be-
tween the democratic and republican parties have
passed away or been settled.
II no substantial difference exists in the principles
more could have been accomplished through the
republican organization at the October election, to
reform abuses, than Will be accomplished by the
reform party suppose one hundred Of the most
Intelligent white citizens In each county had gone
In good faith ana with frank sincerity into the re-
publican organization can 1t be doubted that their
intelligence anu moral strength would have secured
honest nomneesS Ii members In the last Legis-
lature were corrupt, would not such an influence
nave defeated their renOminaJlonS Who can doubt
rNr Thls would have been effective and practical
reform, and 1t would have gone a great way to
break down thai dstrust OF the coored republican
felt towards the native white. distr,st which
was ut hrst even natural and which was greatly in.
creased In 1868-the first election in which the
whites participated after reconstruction the
blacks were attempted TO be persuaded to vote for
party whose avowed principles looked to their dis.
reimbursement.
Is strange that the colored republican should
be cautious and adhere with pertinacity to his
paryf Can we Justly hope to exercise that political
annuence over him which we now constantly do in
all the other relations and duties OF life until he Is
convinced that we intend in good faith to protect
him equally with the whites not only IN his personal
property, but In all his civil and political rtghtss
II the whites Of the State heretofore adnertng 20