The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-09-14
THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
Instructions from the Attorney-Generai
to United States Marshsls i'm Re gard to
Federal Supervision of Elections.

THE NOVEMBER ELECTlONS.
Instructions from the Attorney-Generai
to United States Marshs1s i'm Re gard TO
Federal Supervision of Elections.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.-The follow
ing are the instructions from. the At
torney-General to the United States
Marshals regarding the coming cleo
tions. A copy will be sent to each
United States Marshal throughout the
country:
SIR: The laws of the United States hav-
ing made it my duty to exercise genera.
direction over Marshais as to the manner OF
discharging their offices, / have prepared
for their use this circular letter Of instruc-
tions as to the coming elections, intending
the same also as reply TO all the numerous
applications in like connection from private
citizens in various States ..-
In the present condition Of legislation
the United States occupies position
towards voters and voting which
varies according as the election is for State
and other local officers only, OrfOr members
OF Congress and Presidential Electors. In
elections at which members OF the House of
Representatives are chosen, which, by law,
include elections at which Electors for Pres
ident and Vice-P President are appointed, the
United States secure voters against Whatever
in general hinders or prevents them from the
full exercise Of the elective franchise, eX-
tending that care alike to the registration
list, the act Of voting, and the personal
freedom and security OF the voter; as well as
against violence on account OF any vote ne
NAV. intend to give, as against conspiracy
because OF any that he may already have
given. The peace of the United States,
therefore, which you are TO preserve and
whose violation you are to suppress, pro-
tects among others the rights specified in
the last paragraph, and any person who by
force violates these rights breaks that peace
and renders it your duty TO arrest him, and
to suppress any riots incident thereto, or
that threaten the integrity OF registration
or election, to the end that the will OF the
people in such election may be ascertained
and take effect, and that the offenders may
be brought before the courts for punish
ment.
Notorious events in several States which
recently and in an unusual manner have
been publicly reprObated, renderlt the grave
duty of all Marshals who have cause to ap-
prehend the violation Of the peace Of the
United States, connected as above with
elections to be held on the Tuesday after the
first Monday in November next, be prepared
to preserve and to restore such peace. AS
chief executive officer OF the United States
in your district, you will be held RESPONSE
Bile for all breaches of the peace Of the United
] s.,
have prevented, and for the arrest and Sc
curir g Of all persons who violate that peace
in any of the above points enumerated.
Diligence in these matters requires
of course that you be and continue present
in person or by deputy at all places OF regis
traiion or election at which you have reason
to believe that peace is threatened, and that
whenever an embodiment OF the posse COM
itdtuS is required to enforce the law, such
embodiment be present. You will observe
that the Special Deputies mentioned in Sec
| tiOn ?, ,02l OF the Revised Statutes have pecu-
liar duties assigned TO them, duties which
otherwise do not belong to Deputy Marshals.
Such Special Deputies can be appointed only
| in cities Of 20, 600 inhabitants or upward, but
| the duties assigned to Marshals and their
| deputies by section 2,O22 or
other like statutes, belong to
all duly appointed deputies, whether
they be general or special. Within the
meaning Of that and the preceding section,
deputies to discharge this latter class OF du-
ties may be appointed to any number what
! ever, according to the discretion OF the Mar
shal, in all States in which Sheritfs have
similar power. Section :, ,030 has no practical
bearing upon this point in States where nc
limit is imposed on the appointment OF dep
uties by Sherifs, because in no such States
the laws OF the United States, prior to the
18th of June, 1872, left the Marshals also
unlimited as to the number of their depu'
ties.
In discharging the duties above men,
toned YOU will doubtless receive the
countenance and support of all gooC
citizens OF the United States in
your respective districts. 1t is no
necessary to say that it is upon such cOunte'
nance and support that the United States
mainly rely in their endeayOr to enforce The
right to vote, which they have given or have
secured. The present instructions are in
tended only to cOunteract that partia
malice, wr0ng- -headedness or incOnsidera
= tiOn which sometimes triumphs at crItlca
moments over the conservative and genera
prevailing forces Of society, and TO which th'
present and passing condition OF the cOuntr,
gives more than ordinary strength, ant
: therefore requires the Government to par
ticularly observe and provide against.
, In this connection l advise that you, ant
, each OF your deputies, general and special
have a right to summon to your assistance
, in preventing and quelling disorder, ever
= person in the district above 10 years OF age
, whatever may be their occupation, whethe
civilians or not, and including the militar
of all denominations, militia, soldiers an
marines, all Of which are alike bound t
I obey you. The fact that they are organize
5 aS military bodies, whether OF the State 0
! United States, under the immediate com
mapd of their own officers, does not in any
still the posse cODlnlitdtUS. | prefer
j, quote the above statement Of the laws upo
this point from an opinion by my predeces
n sor, ex-Atiorney- General Cushing, becaus
: Il tnus appears to have been well settled fC
u many years. (See Opinions, 466, May p
: 1S54.)
d | need hardly add there can be no Stat
+ law or State official in this country who ha
. jurisdiction to oppose you in dischargin
your official duties under the laws of th
: United States. II such interference shoul
d take place-a thing not anticipated-yOu al
+ to dis egard it entirely. The laws of tt
r Uoited states are supreme, and so, const
Quently, is the action of the officials OF th
United States in enforcing then
There is. as virtually you have alread
e been told, no officer OF a State whol
= YOU may not, by summons, embOdy int
i your own posse, and any State posse alread
:" embodied by a Sheriff will, with sue
3 Sheriff, be obliged upon your summons
g become parG Of he United States posse an
r obey you or y0Lr deputy acting UirtW
, OficiO. The responsibility which devolv'
! upon an officer clO,hed with such pOwe
" aud required TO guard the highest right
c.,iZens, corresponds in degree with thei
d pCwe = and rights, and eXac.s OF such of
:. Ger cons ideTation, intelligence and courage
!, 1t is proper 10 advise you that in prepa
ing fhis Circular l have considered recel
}: Court of the United States and aeis of Coz
J: gress which regulate this general topic.
II, have founded the above instructions upt
such OF those acts as are affected by SUI
judgment. need in this place to add
y more than that these judgments do not co
III cern Federal elections. You V ii find a
pended such statutory prov ons as
seems important that you and your deputi
e shall in this connection read and cOnside
n In matters Of doubt you are, of course, e
re lltled to the advice OF the United States a
ld torney for your district.
These Instructions have been submitted
u the President and have his approval.
he Very respectfully, your obedient serval
Sv ALPHONSO TAFT,
Ii Attorney-General
j.
A ToBACCoNIST at Greenock, Ell
a land, on arriving at his shop one mol
ce ing found fine set of false teeth lyl
at on the counter. He then discover
bod bv.Ol-oY1 intC, the Sh