The Salt Lake Herald

Red Force in the North.
The extraordinary circular of Attorney-General Miller, in regard to the duties of United States marshals as supervisors of election, is intended as an intimidation of voters in New York, Connecticut, Delaware and West Virginia, where the most desperate measures are being resorted to in behalf of the Republicans. If Miller's interpretation of the existing laws is correct, there is no need for any Force bill, such as has been talked of, for the subjugation of southern electors, and any disclaimer of intending to pass one is useless. Indeed, Mr. Lodge, the author of that bill deliberately assured audience after audience in 1890, that the measure simply undertook to apply all over the country a law already on the statute books affecting large cities. Attorney-General Miller has thus adopted for the north and the "border" states, the construction that the supporters of the Election bill put upon the Supervisor's law as executed in the cities.
As we read General Miller's circular it virtually makes the supervisors a partisan board of review and returning board. It is proposed to carry the supervision considerably beyond mere observation, and the attorney-general is careful to remind the country that "the national government has the right to use physical force in any part of the United States to compel obedience to laws," etc. So, too, in reference to the deputies being inside the guards at the polling places, he declares the Federal law gives the deputies the option of being inside or out, and wherever this is in conflict with the state statutes, the Federal statutes must be followed." The New York state law prohibits any but election officers and voters from being within 150 feet of the booths. Here is a serious conflict, and one to deal with which will require the greatest prudence to avoid alarming consequences.