The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-25
Our New York Letter.
The Saturday Exodns 10 the Couptry-
State PoIifics-AIonzo Il. Cornell u.o.,
talked of for the Republican Nomiu..
hon for Governor-His Record-uni;c.
io"s Assaults OF his Opponents.
NEW YORK. Jnly d 1876


ward is filled on the last day of the week, with
painting, hurrying, parcel.laden crowd of pas.
sengers rushing to the country or the sea-shore
IN quest OF fresh air and rest. Business goes
on OF course-.t always must where there are
so many people to be fed and clothed-but
there Is no life in it; it is lauguid torpid.
compulsory exercise, only kept up because
there is no way of avoiding it, Itis impossible
to get up an interest in anything. Even poll
tics are tiresome although we are within a little
more tnan three months of the grand quadren-
NAL revolution of peace which is to determine
who shall govern the Republi,. There
is some animation in respect to State
affairs, to be sure, the question of who shall be-
the Republican candidate for Governor, being
OF supreme Importance and within thirty days
OF solution by the Republican convention. The
fact that New York is the acknowledged battle-
ground of the campagn-that the Democracy
will fight with desperation engendered by an
almost savage hunger for the coveted smells
which have been so long withheld from their
grasp, and that the metropolis with its vast
multitude OF foreigners, its ten thousand grog
shops, nurseries of Democracy as member
of that party formerly in Congress admiringly
described them, and its painful excess of igno-
rant and vicious voters is capable of rolling I'D
heavy majorities in reversal of the sober.
thoughtful and conscientious judgment of the
sturdy yeomanry of the interior invests the can
vass with additional conseq uence. The candidat-
who is most talked of in Republican circles is
Alonzo b. Cornell. He is so we'll known that
there is no need of my saying more of him
than that heis worthy sou of the founder
OF Cornell University and gentleman of the
most exemplary character, fine address and
liberal education. His first essay in politics
was in 1868 when he ran for Lieutenant Cover
nor on the ticket with John A. Griswold and
was counted out" by the Ring fraads. The
following year he was appointed Surveyor OF
the Portland resigned that office in 1872 to run
for the State Legislature, of which he was chos-
en- Speaker. He was Chairman of the State
Committee in 1872, and that post has now been
again assigned to him. He is thoroughly ac-
quainted with men and affairs, from political
standpoint, in every part of the state. He is
an indefatigable worker and trained orgaui-
zer. In the matter of carrying the Conyen-
ton no rival can compete with him. He is
favorite with the rank and file of his party.
This is creditable to them as we'll as to him.
He has always "been true to his order" Heis
not one of those utterly selfish beings who ad-
here to cause as long as it is certain of success
and stink away from it the moment peril
threatens it.
Now there are great many good men, and
hearty Republicans, all of them, who have the
idea that Mr.. Cornell is not the strongest can
didate that can be named. The antagonisms of
the past have brought him more or less in col
lsion with men who are not of the party, but
who occasion ally go wiM it-and the capture of
as many as possible of these opinionless non
descrpts is looked upon as game worth try
ing. And, on the whole, it does seem that in
this milk and water era, when defamation has
usurped the place of argument and charl atan-
ry is mistaken for statesmanship the best bait
wherewith to catch the groundlings would be
nominee without any settled convictions upon
any subject except the universal deprayity and
corruption permeating the public affairs Of his
country There is as much difficulty, however.
IN meeting this requirement, as there is in en-
panneling jury in some case of which eyery-
body capable of reading and writing has
formed an opinion. 1t is not easy to hunt up a
mau of any mind at all who is possessed of
the questionable faculty of keeping it blank.
Then there is another hindrance in the way
OF consummating this little arrangement.
There are some three or four hundred thousand
Republicans who may take a notion to have a
word or two to say about it. 1t would be a
bad business to ALLEVIATE the many for the pur-
pose OF conciliating the few. There are some
candidates talked of who could by no possibil-
ity command the full party vote. They are
persons Of considerable eminence, but they do
not happen to be of the Republican household.
They drop into it when there is plenty at the
board, and peace and concord all around. But
whenever there is disturbance or danger, they
prudently retreat to some safe covert and wait
till the trouble is over. Occasionally, when
they imagine they see indications that the fam
lily is to be broken up, they form alliances with
the enemy and fall to abusing their old asso.
ciates AS soon as they discover that they un-
derrated the pluck and prowess of their late
coDfreres, they drift back again towards the
homestead, and hang about the purlieus, wait
ing to be invited in. They ex sect the same
fare the prodigal son was treated to without
initiating his pen.tence.
In strait, party will make very liberal
concessions to secure new elements of strength.
The Republicans of New York, not so much be-
cause they feel any apprehension of disaster,
as for the sake of taking extra precautions
against it, would yield a great deal to satisfy
the wishes of the handful of voters who are
perched on the fence and appear to be uncer.
tain on which side they will jump. But IL
hon 20 t1ok iii
sent to the nomination of any one who had
hitherto conspired against, betrayed or de-
nounced his party, they would not only sacri-
flee their own self-respect by so craven a
course, but they wonld lose five times as
much as they would gain by it. They are not
only as firmly attlched to Republican prin-
ciples as they ever were, but they have pre-
cisely the same feelings of contempt for the
weak and unstable beings who have from time
70 time dropped out of the ranks. that they
always had. They are as inimical to corrup-
tion, as resolute for economy, efficiency and
fidelity in the public service as the more vocif-
erous people who are perpetually proclaiming
their own virtue, and the wickednesses of the
rest of mankind. They are not continually
washing their hands with invisible soap in
imperceptible water" In frantic lamentations
over the degeneracy of the age, because they
look upon all that sort of screeching as abom-
Unable can't and snivel, the capital stock of the
Mawworms, Chadbands and Aminidab Sleeks
of the political arena. When they hear such
a declaration as that public life to-day is less
pure and honest than it used to be, they know
it is false and must needs conclude that those
who believe so are simpletous, aad those who
assert without believing so are slanderers
Both classes exert pernicious influence as far
as they are capable of exertiug any at all. II
the wretched delusion they help to give cur
rency to were to find any considerable number
of dupes, the decline of popular morality
would inevitably follow. Wrong doing is in
fair way of becoming general, when it is recog.
nized as the fashion.
Without going, at this moment, to the root
of the question, whom is it expedient to nom
mate for Governor? can aver in the most pos
tive manner, that it is exclusively the affair Of
the Republicans and they will attend to il in
their own way and according to their good
- "a I.zs1 1a11 IL a.