The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-08-06
Our ssuty iu the Failure.

clearly marking and noting them We
may be able to avoid similar ones il
future. We now know that the
Reform party movement Of 1870 was
mistake, though at the time it gave
our best men hopes of sure and
speedy delivcrance from almost in
toi2rable evils. The movement was
regarded by the Radical party as a
mere trick of the Democratic leaders
to cajolc the radical masses with a cry
Of reform into voting with them, and
under the plea of reforming the State
government, which was notoriously
corrupt, to seize once more the relns
of power. The corruption was dis
regarded and the party in power only
clung more tenaciously together,-
there was no division in their ranks,
and the Reform movement was igno,
miniously defeated.
Without going back to the Presl-
Dental election of 1868, when it does
seem that any good observer of the
course of events ought to have known
that there was no possibility for the
Democratic candidate to be elected,
we now know, that it was mistake
for us to take any part in the election
Of 1872. Yet, great as were these mis-
takes and vain as have been our efforts
to secure some share in the govern
ment of the country, we can not doubt
that to have followed the advice of
Col. Orr, first given, we believe, in
1870: would have been more fatal and
m;schieyous still. That this is so, he,
himself, affords most striking and
illustrious example: In politics, as in
everything else, the only true policy
Is honesty. In all cases: as honest
men and lovers Of our country, We
are bound to act up to our highest
convictions of what is right; and to
have thrown ourselves bodily into
party which We knew to be only
secthing mass Of corruption. With the
hope of purifying it, would have been
an act Of madness unparalleled in the
history of the world, and 4 mistake
infinitely greater than any which
We have ever made Of this fact
Col. Orr, himself, affords = most
striking example. The greatest de-
feat of his life and the most grievous
wound he ever received WAS from the
hands Of that party he vainly sought
TO purify. Believing that our present
Governor was a man utterly beyond
redemption, and that there was not
salt enough in the world to save him,
he threw himself into that canvass
with the hope of doing the State ser
vice and of raising the moral status Of
the party to whose service he had
devoted himself. Vain hope, vain
struggle! Moses WAS triumphantly
elected, the party goes on its way, still
spreading rotteness as it goes, and Orr
baffled and defeated, sought service
abroad where he died. Policy should
never be preferrel'to principle. Live
honestly, act honestly if you die for it.
We mention these things now as
facts Of history from which We may
derive instruction and warning
While We hold this editorial pen we
do not mean to discuss the acts Of any |
public man; the frauds on the public |
treasury, or the course pursued by the |
government Of the State, profoundly |
convinced that by such discussion We
could do no good. and we write with |
the hope Of doing good. By the
study Of the past We ought to be able
to draw lessons of instruction for our i
conduct in the future. And the les
son that We derive to-day from the
events of the last few years is this,
that it is our duty, and that we can
thus 10 more service to the State, to
abstain from Ill participation III poll
tics, and devote our best efforts to in
creaSing our material wealth, de-
yclopin@ the resources Of the State |
and adding to our intellectual and |
moral resources by the cultivation Of
Art anu Science and Religion. Here
we have ample fields whose soil is
always fruitful and whose fruits never
diSsappoint us. Pure airs always
blow over these fields and the nice
sense is never offended BY the odorS
of the pest house. |
But, it may be urged as an objection
to this course, that by following it We
abandon the State to the spoilcr and
ri..M ourselves i massive prey to The !