The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-18
The Plea of Judge Orr.

The letter of Judge Orr, upon the political
situation, would have had more influence ii
the order of its statements had been re-
versed. When q politician is firmly con-
vinced that the object which party pro-
poses to accomplish is ''entirely impractical
sble," and that the consequences OF its nom
nations, and of the canvass, must be ''per-
'snicious," it is only reasonable that he
should abandon that party, and join the op-
posing party, which, by the rule of contra
ries, is sure to succeed and to produce the
happiest results. But Judge Orr does not
ally himself with Scott and Ransier because
ofthe language of the Union Reform platform,
or because of the character Of the Union Re
form candidates. At heart, Judge Orr was
as thorough Radical one year ago as he is
to-day. Then, if not before, hemade up his
mind that, for him, there were more prizes
to be won where Moses and Robertson and
Scott and Whittemore would be his only ri
walls, than in the party which claims the al
legiance of all the honest, able statesmen
within our borders. What Gulliver was in
Lilliput, Judge Or hopes to be among the
intellectual pignies Of the Scott party. A
Triton among minnows, he hopes to hold
an undisputed sway in the Shiny depths
of the pool Of radical politics. Long
before his elaborate conversation with
Tribune reporter, he had, 50 to speak,
burned his Ships behind him. And the people
must understand that Judge Orr does not
declare that he Will vote for Scott and
Ransier because he believes that the Union
Reform Party cannot win. The plain truth
is, that he declares that Scott and Ransier
must be successful, because he had long ago
committed himself, beyond recall, to the for
tunes Of the party Of corruption. Unless the
Reformers be defeated, Judge Orr is undone
No wonder, then, that, like the fox who had
lost its tail, he endeavors to persuade his old
companions that the ugly mutilation is an
honor to covet, rather than disgrace to
shun! No wonder, then, that James L.
Orr, running counter to the counsels and
opinions of every eminent man and every
honest citizen in South Carolina, labors to
convince his fellow-citizens that he is in the
right, and they are in the wrong
And what are the ostensible reasons of
Judge Orr for believing that the Union Re-
form party cannot win, and that the conse-
quences of the canvass must be pernicious ?
He admits that "Sonse" OF the State offices
are filled "6y incompetent and corrupt men,
soho should be drioen from the places they
ssoccupy" and he admits, besides, that "more
economy" should be practieed in she ap-
''propriation and disbursement of public
'smouey." But while confessing what even he
dare not deny, Judge Orr argues that the
'tHlaty thousand majority" which the Re-
publicans have; their control Of all the de-
partments of the State Government; and the
threat Of 'ret0-ning tie party By destroy
sing IT." make it impossible for the Reiormers
to be successful, and divert the party in
power from "a careful examination into the
fitness Of those seeking to represent them,
and from abuses and corruptions existing in
the party That is to say, the State might
obtain from the mercy Of Scott what it can
not extort from his fears; that the highway
robber will make restitution, and cut throats
and purses no more, if his victims will fore
go the menace OF prosecution, make no re-
sistance, and spare the hardened culprit while
he stands il the very shadow OF the gallows.
During two years the Scott party have had
absolute control Of the State Government.
They were securely in Office, and their re-
election and their whole political future de-
pended upon the honesty and ability OF their
conduct. No abandonment OF opposition
could make them as safe to-day as they have
been for twice twelve months. And what have
they done? They have plunged the State
into debt; they have doubled and trebled
taxation; they have, FROM the highest official
to the lowest, conducted themselves with so
notorious proaigacy as to bring down upon
their heads the merited condemnation OF
every good citizen at home, and of every
good citizen abroad. We have the right to
judge their future by what their past has
been. Nor does Judge Orr dream that the
Scott party, if reelected, will behave with
more decency and with more regard for the
good of the State than they do now! Judge
Orr distinctly says that "the antagonistic
position Of the Reform party, not only to
''the alleged corruptions and abuses of the
! Republicans, but to the existence Of the
''party itself, not only precludes all hope of
'enlisting its members under their banners,
'fbut forces them (the Republiaans) in their
campaign, to look more TO Selfpreseroation
'than to any co,7'uptions or misnaanage-
s'ment Of its members" These are signiti-
cant words.
In the first place we assert that the Union
Reform party is not 'santagonistic. to the
existence OF the (Republican) party ITSELF"
and this Judge Orr knows to be true. The
Union Reform party is State organization
Tor State purposes. Its candidate for Gov
ernor is a Republican. and among its sup
porters are hundreds OF white Republicans.
It makes no contest against RenuhIcs n;sm.