The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-21
New YORK, Oct. goth, 1879.

The rejoicings over the result OF the Ohio
election have been very general and extremely
hearty. 1t is not among the politicians alone
that strong expressions of satisfaction are
heard, but the business men and capitalists OF
the city feel a sense of relief that the errors
and fallacies of the soft-money fanatics are
fading out of sight under the benefcent influ-
ences of restored prosperity. With the No
vember elections the Greenback party will
probably cease to be power III politics Inc
fact will be universally accepted that the cur
rency question is definitely settled by the
recognition of coin as the only proper basis OF
the circulating medium, and the issue will be
simply whether the Union shall Or shall not be
relegated to Rebel rule. The signs multiply
in all directions that public sentiment is assum-
ing a very firm and healthy tone in reference
to this important subject. The people are
getting thoroughly aroused. Men viii vote the
Republican ticket this Fall who never voted II
before and many who have for some years
past been lukewarm and Indifferent are becom-
ing jealous workers for the good cause. All
the omens point to large vote and a decisive
Union victory on the 4th of November. Ev-
erybody seems to realize that the election this
year will have an important bearing upon the
Presidential contest, and that consequently
any attempt to disturb the harmony of the par
ty is in the highest degree reprehensible
There is not a man in this community, no mat
er how high his reputation or how great his
abilities, who can Withstand this current OF
public opinion. He must either fall in with it
or be overwhelmed by it. There is altogether
too much at stake to admit of the intrusion OF
petty topics into the debate, and every effort
to create dissension in the ranks will prove as
futile as Mrs. Partington's endeavor to mop up
the Atlantic with her broom.
There has been great deal of foolish gable
printed about Mr.. Cornell, and if the strength
of the opposition to him within the lines of the
party were to be measured by the noise with
which proclamation is made of it there might
be some apprehension felt that his vote would
fall considerably below that which will be CIV
en- to his associates on the ticket But the
effect of such treacherous attacks is to invite
inquiry in respect of the fitness of the gentle
man who is the object of them to fill the post
for which he has been named. Now the more
searchingly the people scrutinize the personal
character and public record of Alonzo b. Cor
nell, the more thoroughly the conviction will
take hold of them that he is as good man as
ever was presented to the citizens of the En-
pire State for their suffrages. He started in
life, it is true, with rare advantages of wealth
and social position, but it is not every rich
mans son who improves his opportunities
as we'll as he has Everybody, of course, knows
who his father was. Ezra Cornell consecrated
a large portion of his fortune to the endow-
ment Of the University which bears his name.
The son after completing his education ac-
cepted the position of cashier of bank at
Ithaca. He made his debut on the political
stage, as the Republican nominee for Lieuten-
ant Governor in 1868; John a. Griswold ran
| for Governor. They were both counted out by
| the Tweed ring in the city. The next year
| Mr.. Cornell was appointed Surveyor of the
| Port by Gen. Grant. He held the office for
three years and then resigned it to run for the
assembly in the eleventh district of this city,
He was elected by large majority, and on the
assembling of the Legislature, was chosen
| Sneaker of the House. After serving out his
| term he was selected as one of the Vice Presi-
| dents of the Western Union Telegraph compa-
ny, an office he held for several years. In the
| course of the panic which began in 1873, the
| Cornell estate became embarrassed, and this
| gentleman, who was heir presumptive to mil
| lions, got involved in law suits, and there were
numerous judgments recorded against him.
| The property in his charge was unavailable for
the time being. 1t consisted of railway bonds
and shares, and of lands which were not
| convertible into ready money. There
was nothing for it but to wait and bide his
| time, which he did patiently and manfully.
AS soon as things began to recover he began TO
pay the judgments and will without any doubt
| in the end satisfy every creditor His whole
course in the midst of his difficulties has been
courageous and upright He has shown HIM
self capable of enjoying prosperity modestly,
| and adversely patiently When he took the
| Office Of Surveyor, and all the while he held it,
the emoluments he derived from it were of no
| consequence to him. He did not accept the
place for what he could make out of it. He
relinquished it voluntarily when it was much
more lucrative than it is now, and entered up
Oh line of public service which brought him
| no pay and involved q considerable draft upon
his means. In 1876, when he was struggling
| with the reverses in which the hard times mad
involved him. he was appointed naval ofhcer'
| The salary OF IS, 900 was no doubt at that time
an object to him. And yet, when the alterila-
tive was presented to him OF giving up .he
place or resigning the chalrmanshp Oh the
| Republican State Committee he did not hesl-
| tate to sacrifice his pecunary interests rather
than surrender the prerogatives OF citizenship.
This spirited and self-denying act constitutes
the chief ground of objection to his cam