The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-10
The Difference Between Being Named
Cornell and Being Named Moodtord.

II n man is named CORNELL and he holds
m office under the Government OF the United
States. and happens at the same time to bc
on state Republican Committee, he will
receive n telegram emauating from the Cabi-
net at Washington; " Resign your place on
the Republican Committee before II o'clock
today or you will loo removed from the Fed
nral Office you hold
II a man holding Office under the general
Government is named WoopVoED STEWART
l.. WOODFoRD- he Will receive no such no.
licei no such notice will hc sent 20 him. He
may spout party politics from Maine to
Minnesota and retain his oillee under the
Government all the same.
This has been proven in the case Of 4. b..
CORNELL, Naval Officer, AMI STEWART L..
WooDFoRD. United States District Attorney
In this city. CORNELL had 20 choose be-
tween resignlng hi. place as Chairman of
the state Committee and losing his Office.
WooDFoRD, on the contrary, can do a. ne
pleases, and no objection appears TO be made
from Washington. Gen. WooDFoRD has re-
Gently been stumplng the State Of Maine.
Now 1t is announced hc j. going to Mime
sofa. He makes a distinction. as we learn
~ "a l'NNtl llblu augusta u our tsltfll'sl
contemporary, the Times, between attend
ing party primaries and caucuscs and at
tending large political conventions and
addressing them. 1t is obvious that the
principle involved is the same. II a Federal
officer may properly do the one he may with
equal propricty do the other. No dstinc-
tion, IN point OF principle, can he drawn be-
tween the two. The difference l. purely ar
btrary. II one is wrong both are wrong.
II one is right both must be right.
Besides, IT was state Convention, not a
caucus, which Mr.. CORNELL wa forbidden
to attend, on ponalty Of having his official
head chopped OF.
Gen. WooDFoRD is n courteous. accom-
plished, popular gentleman, whose susccp-
tiblitlcs We should be- panied 10 wound. We
should be reluctant TO charge that. with the
countcnance Of the Administration. he had
been III clectionccring in Maine while the
obligation Of official duties required his
presence in New York. But We cannot over
look the fact that the case Of poor MICHAEL
ToBlN, q faithful and patriotic soldier, who,
for aycnging the deepest of wounds h. his
own honor has been convicted II murder in
the first degree and sentenced 10 be exc
cuted, has seemingly been neglected. A
cominutation was asked FOR In n numorously
signed petition. The case was referred.
weeks ago 10y the Department Of Justice at
Washington 10 the United States District
Attorney here No report having been
made upon the case the execution. II is
announced, will probably he temporarily
postponed until Gen. WooDFoRD can obtain
respite from his political engagements
long enough to look into little matter Of
life and DEATH
Meanwhile what must be the sufTerings Of
ToPNl II is known that the agony Of n
prisoner sentenced TO execution and linger-
ing in state Of uncertainty as TO whether
he can escape the gallows or not is some
thing awful In some instances, where the
fatal day has been set months ahead, the
doomed victim has been found reckoning the
days, hours, and even seconds that would
Intervene before the black cap would DC
drawn over his facet
We trust Gen. WooDFoRD has done much
good in Maine, and will do much more in
Minnesota We also trust that on some
leisure day he Will attend to the ease OF
poor MICHAEL ToBIN, and not permit the
agony of his uncertainty to be protracted to
his last hour.
Among the things which no fellow can
find out, is why il ought TO make such q
difference whether public officer is named
CoKNELL or WoODFoRD as to the rules and
code by which he is to be governed.