The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-08-25
Hon. James L. Orr and his Advice to the
People of South Carolina,

has welded an immense influence, during the
greater portion of the period named, on almost
every question. of public moment. His tact
and sagacity as politician are upon record ana
stand acknowledged. His public career has
been freely and .oftimes harshly criticised in
other quarters, and during the past ten years
his popularity among the masses has been Sc
yerely tested. Amid all the different phases of
his political life Judge Orr has retained the
confidence and support of many of our best
citizens and in numerous instances he has re-
ceived the highest proofs of unbounded popu-
larity and influence. But, as we have intima-
ted, this confidence has not been uniformly
accorded to him among the people of this sec
tion, and on more than one occasion he has
rapidly lost favor in public esteem.
The recent letter of Judge Orr upon the po-
litical situation in this State will necessarily at
tract large share of attention among the peo-
pie of Anderson county He has assumed po-
sitions at variance with the honest convictions
and sentiments of nearly every white man in
this region of country, and he may expect that
they will repel his advice sternly, if not indig-
nantly. Indeed, we are confident that Judge
Orr does not hope to gain the approval of his
old constituents by the course now pursued.
He is beyond their reach, so far as condemna-
ton is concerned, and his future expectations
do not lie in their power to control.
1t is proposed, however, to briefly examine
the letter of Judge Orr, and we shall endeavor
to discharge this duty with an earnest purpose
to shed the light of truth upon the subjects
therein discussed.
Judge Orr begins his letter by declaring that
he will vote for Scott and Ransier, the Repub-
lican candidates for the highest offices within
the gift of the voters of South Carolina 1t is
voluntary declaration without any apparent
necessity for its publication, and we presume
that Judge Orr desires to take upon himself
the full and entire responsibility involved.
Hence, it must be shown to what extent the
declaration carries him. The administration OF
Gov. Scott has been freely ventilated, and Judge
Orr is fully acquainted with its character. He
endorses that administration by proposing to
re-elect its head to the office Of Governor. He
is aware that the endorsement is an unqualified
approval of everything concocted and carried
out by Gov SCOTS administration in the last
two years. 1t is an APPROVAL of the enormous
taxation with which the property-holders are
burdened, and Judge Orr is we'll aware that
continuance of this Radical party in power will
greatly increase the peoples taxes for the next
two years. 1t is an endorsement of the system
of espionage inaugurated by Gov. Scott, by
which quiet and peaceable citizens have been
dragged from their homes, without authority OF
law. 1t is an approval of the numerous specu-
lations in which Gov. Scott has been engaged,
whereby the State has been made to suffer pc
cuniarily and Gov. Scott enriched almost be-
yond limit. 1t is an endorsement of the noto-
rious bribery exercised in the Legislative de-
partment, and with which some of the highest
officials, including the Governor, were directly
connected In a word, it is an approval OF all
and singular the official misdeeds and corrupt
government of the past two years, and which
has secured the distinction of being a disgrace
to the civilization of the age" Now, it is true
that Judge Orr gently intimates in his letter
that there have been abuses and corruptions in
the several branches of government, and that
he is impelled to take the course indicated by
him in order to bring about reformation within
the pale of the Radical party. He does not
pretend that the large and influential class
arrayed against the "Scott Ring" would fail to
correct these abuses and put stop to the cor
rupt practices of officials Only. that he has
discovered another and surer method of accom-
plishing these desirable ends, namely, that of
being enrolled as a member of the identical
party under whose name has been exercised
this fraudulent abuse of power. This is his
sovereign remedy for correcting the evils under
which the whole people of South Carolina are
now groaning He has united with the very
men who have grown rich out of the spoils OF
Office, and would fain induce his old political
friends to do likewise. He does not deny, and
cannot deny, that he is now affiliated with the
worst set of men ever connected with the State
government, and whose career is nothing but a
stencil in the nostrils of all honest men, OF
whatever party, race or color. But he has
made this choice, and we would not for a mo-
ment question his right to affiliate with whom
he pleases We will now look at the motives
prompting him to join the Radical party, as
disclosed by his letter.
Judge Orr assumes that the great mass of the
colorcd voters will sustain the Republican
marty. as at present organized in this State
and in order to effect reform of existing abuses
and secure just and legitimate influence of
the white race upon the counsels of the State,
he claims that it must be done through this Or
canization. He advises that the wise and cx-
perienced must in good faith join the Republi