New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-07
TIE COMMON SENSE TIEW or IT.


ness of the young persons who being naturally
averse to the associations and contact OF ordi-
nary politics, and still DESTROYS of doing some
thing comprehensive for the benefit of their
kind are organizing what they describe as
nucleus" whose high aud holy purpose
1t shall he to scratch Cornell" we
have not meant to jeer their enthusiasm
or iibe Mt their youth for who OF us has
not been yOnng and confident, ana what
would all experience be worth were there no
illusions to dispel no slow unlO0sing OF the
spell that the troe-tOps on the lar ho"-
ION toucbed The sky. and large-eycd boys
might climb that way To Heaven some
div2 Oh. no; we are honest III orr al
miratIon of their ruddincss ana ireSh-
ness and manifold sincerity of purpose
Only il seems TO us that just at present th'y
are so far of from what is actual and passing
IN the GENERAL movement of mankind, that
they only see American politics III sort oil
mirage. To Ms in the hurly-buIly, things
seem to be going on much after the OLD sort,
with a general direction toward the
good. and manifest improvement as
well in The character of our political
leaders as in the methods of or politics.
appears bottom upwards. The mirage seems
near; the confusion and noise are audible, II
not inteligiblc and with all things so
inverted and the downward plunge impend-
ing, 1t is not strange perhaps that they shonld
fail into the deluSiOn that they are near
enough to passing occurrences to put up
their hands and push back the calamity.
But they too are in a mirage. To all
of us common people, III the actual
rucll of the world, they seem bottom up
wards, standing on their heads ana looking
at rs from the edges of damp, dcpe
clouds. We know, however, that they are not
there that their nearness To us Is an optical
Illusion. For while we skirt the shores OF
what we hope we have learned, their barks
sit lightly on the furthesI verge of what they
think they know; that vast profound beyond
cur sight from which they will 10y and 10y
come sailing back to see if they did actually
snatch the world of its beam-cnds when they
scratched Cornell.
Without hoping to say anything that shall
distract these gentlemen from what they con-
ccive 10 be their purpose, or that shall even
Toe worthy their attention, we venture to
express what seems to us to be the
ton. As looked at from the position of the
average voter We understand, of course,
though somewhat dinly, that to assert ones
independence, and protest against machine
politics, one must scratch Cornell" Ijut we
cannot make out why this Is so. \ Great many
people will vote for Mr.. Cornell without for
feitng their Independence, and some people
who have none may scratch him. We don't
see that il will either Illustrate any
thing or prove anything, unless it be the point
zeal transcendentalism of the man who, not
satisfied with any of the candidates, takes
pains to scratch the best, and so, by induc-
ton, help the less worthy Nothing is
brought against the personal character or
political record of Mr.. Cornell, except
that instead of yielding his opinions
for the sake of Office he maintained
them and was removed. We may not
have agreed with him in his view of
the question at issue: we can do no less
than respect the manliness with which he adj
hered to his belief and made the sacrifice il
cost. They who "scratch Cornell" will do so
in the hope of rebuking machine manage
ment," as they call it. What machine was
il. pray, that nominated Cornell No ma
chnery of Federal patronage, certainly. That
was inactive, and if it had been otherwise
would naturally have been hostile. No ma
chinery of State or municipal patron
age that is in Democratic hands. The
machinery by which his nomination was
brought about was. so far as we can see, no
more nor less than that by which a majority
of the voters in II party express their choice
in a Convention; just as popular majority
does in an election-the machinery of organ
ization Shall we rebuke that machine
and denounce the legitimate and proper
methods by which the majority have exercised
their choice, and not deferred TO ours I
Let us correct our Technology that is no
rebuke, but "A SWIVEL; not protest, bur a
whine it is well named in only tins that it
is a simple Scratch" and net great move
ment. And suppose it should defeat Mr. Cor
nell, whom does it bring in Lucius Robin
son. What lofty rebuke of machine poll
ties that would be, to be sure Why, this
gentleman's entire administration has been
devoted to oiling the machinery by which
his wing of the party was to be per-
petuated in power, the Iilden ascend
ancy in the State maintained and Til
denis denomination secured. There has been
nothing more notorious than his manipulation
of the canals and prisons and municipal COM
missions with this plain purpose. To scratch
"Cornell" with view to rebuhing machine
politics, and thereby help elect Robinson,
would be altogether incoherent and absurd.
The call to " scratch Cornell" moreover, is
directed to those who will vote the rest of the
Republican ticket, and who accordingly would
sooner trust affairs to Republican than to
Democratic guidance and control. But there
is no possibility of mistake to the effect
upon general politics of the election OF Robin
son by the Cornell scratchers. 1t would not