New-York tribune., 1874-12-25
-
WASHINGTON
,nAnn Oo,tMIrTEE Ar WORK.

AN OUTRAGE COMMITTEE AT WORK.
INVESTIGATION OF ALABAMA AFFAIRS - TEsriMoNI
OF Ex-JUpGE KEIIs AND ROBERT REID - No
srARTIING NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. COIN"
ARMED TO THEIR MEETINGs-REID AT THE hhA'
OFA CLUB OF 500 NEGROES.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBuSEl .
WASHINGTON. Dec. 4-The Alabama outi"Ro
Committee held its first meeting in this CITY th's
morning. and examined cx-Judgo keils oil EnIau''
and the notorious &" Bob" Reid of Sumter county
The former had no personal knowledge OF any intihi
dation before the election. lIc believed tDat 'io'o
had been disturbance in the streets on the day ,a'
the Republicans held their County Convehtoh' p"o
he did not see it, On the day OF election no "aS d.
one of tho precincts in his county wheh " INV
occurred. The lights were put out ana tue pa''o''
box destroyed During the melee kells ana Ills ~"
were under the table, and some pistol shots were
fred ono of which killed his son. He did not tes-
;ify az to tho origin of tho disturbance. Wheh
asked if white Republicans were ostraczcd IN Ala
bama he at first replied that they were; but nilei
ward admitted that this was only when tney
were prominent politicians. When the people Vi
the country understand fully what kind OF men inc
average white Radical politicians OF Alabama arc
they will agree that they would be ostraclzed IIoii
decent society anywhere. Judge keils tc@!icu tna'
the Republicans of his county feared they would be
molested at their meetings, and agreed to attchu
them armed and to fight if necessary. 1t does not
seem 10 have been necessary at any time during INC
canvass. .
Bob Reid was the leader of negro band OF cIuo
of 500 men which had its headquarters near b'i'
mont. Sumter County. lie admitted to-day '''a.
such q club existed and gave very highly colorcd
description of attacks that had been made upon It's
members His whole story was of the samo charac-
Of To
found to dwindlo like the thrco black crows when
the Committee reach Sumter County and call tue
witnesses on both sides
TIE RELATIVE VALUE OF SILVER COIN
AND FRACTIONAL CURRENCY.
COMPUTATIONS AND sPECULATroSs OF AN OFFICER
OF THE BUREAU OF SIATISTICS-sIIVER WoRIh
TWO PER CENT PREMIUM IN CrRRENCl-PRoBA-
BIE EFFECT or THE SILVER COIN SECTION OF
TIE PENDING FINANCE BILL.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrNE
WASHINGTON Dec 2i.-Mr. T.. B. Elliott OF the
Bureau of Statistics has been making some careful
computations to-day to ascertain the relative value
of United States silver coin and fractional currency
in order to determine how great an appreciation OF
the latter will bo necessary to make both of equal
value, and consequently to ascertain whether the
silver coin portion of the new Currency bill is likely
to result as its authors nomnally desire His chain
of reasoning and its results are as follows:
Tue United states Mint ratio OF gold to silver is
IA 9j4 900 tol. The market ratio OF gold to silver, as
shown by the latest quotations in London AZ lG $40 to
Therefore, the market ratio Of gold to silver IN Lon
don to the Unted States Mint rlt Of gold to silver
as I6 $40 Is to II 9ji 1000 109 to no In other
words tho silver Of gold Is In tho language OF tue
street. 100 But the average currency prce or gold In
the Nov York for time past has been about
III 49, DIVIDING the latter by the former gives l9i l00
the currency prco OF silver In other words IN silver
s now worth 81 oiIoo IN popular phrase. silver Is
now worth not quite p"r cent premium in currency
It will bo observed that these calculations are
based upon the market value of silver III London
and not i'm NewYOrk. Mr.. Elliott considers this
much preferable to moutatons based on the value
of silver in New-YOrk lf any largo movement OF
silver to take place it would be governed by the
London market Tho quotations in Ncw-York arc
for small transactions Mr. Elliott thinks that there
reason to hope that the difference between paper
and silver in this country may be reduced to Moth
to put in circulation any large amount of silver CON-
The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to
hoard gold IN tho Treasury, in order that he may be
able to redeem in 1879. II this was begun soon 1t
might have the effect Of raising tho vauo of our
paper and of course the fractional currency would
appreciate with it, 1t is fair to that this discus
sion of this subj ct is not in any way an official one
and it must not be supp scd that tho Treasury De-
partment is i'll amy way committed to It,