Karl, we called them suckers when I was growing up and yes, you can cut them off. Will help the main stalk, but the suckers will continue to grow also. You may want to cut them back again later.
I plan to pull some Peaches & Cream corn tomorrow. Good luck with yours, sir.

Shot

Some varieties are more prone to suckers than others. You can just grab the sucker and pull sharply to one side and they will come off easy. With my patch of 1/2 acre it's not worth the trouble.