The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-21
Correspondent.

| Early in the campaign the Post, in dis
cussing the free coinage question, copied
| and editorially commented upon an arti-
Gle from the London Financial News,
which said, among other things, that if
! the United States were to adopt IL silver
basis British trade would be ruined
| within year. Comment was made upon
| this article because it was so at variance
with the general run of English EXPIRES.
sion on the subject.
Although the Financial News article
had previously appeared in several news
papers-from one of which it was taken
by this paper-its republication in the
Post gave it national prominence which
it had not formerly attained, and it i'm
mt diately became n campaign issue. In.
cidentally, the Post has been cited as the
original medium of the publication of the
article, although that distinction has been
clearly disavowed.
The Republican national committee,
through its press bureau, some weeks
ago. sent out Il statement that the London
Financial News had never printed such
an article, and intimating that it was a.
political fake and. forgery. The Demo-
cratic national committee, on the other
hand, after some investigation, announc
ed that the article had appeared in the
London Financial News exactly rs repro
duced in this country. From week to
week, as the campaign progressed, the
article in question has continued TO bob
up in American politics, being repudiated
by the Republicans and widely circulated
by the Democrats.
VERIFIED IN LONDON.
Without feeling the least interested in
I'm fno1 Of
account of having, in good faith, printed
the article, and thus started it on it's
rounds, the Post determined to investi-
gate, OH its own account, the genuineness
of the original article. With this object
in view the following letter was sent to
Durrant's Press Cuttings, reputable
concern in London, with which this paper
has long had dealings:
Washington, d. c., Sept. 90, 1896.
Manager Durrant's Press Cuttings:
Dear Sir: Perhaps you are aware by
this time that there is being circulated in
this country an alleged extract from the
London Financial News of April 80 1894,
the same purporting to come through
your bureau, of which the Post is pa
tron. Enclosed will be found n fac simile
of the same as it is appearing in the news
papers. Will you be kind enough to look
into the matter and advise us as to
whether or not the editorial or communi-
cation appeared in the London Financial
News, and, if So ut what time. 1t has
been asserted that the editorial, if such it
was, did not appear on the date credited
in your clipping. An early reply will
oblige 3 3{saR H BERIAH WILKINS,
e ElasEs y IA sssEsss Editor Post
e.. yesterday the following reply was re-
ccived, which settles the controversy,
showing that the article as quoted did APP
pear in the London Financial News:
.Durrants Press Cuttings,
w. Durrant Proprietor.
81 1lolborn Niaduct, London, Sept 80,
1896.
Denr Sir: The fac-simile of u newspaper
clipping you incolsc with your favor,
dated the 22d of September, 1896 (the au.
thenticity of which is now beyond ques,
ticnl, is an editorial appearing in the
Financial News newspaper OF April 30,
1894. Upon receiving Il similar clipping
from Chicago, at once compared it with
the file kept Mt the British Museum, and
have dispatched to that city sworn dec.
laration that the publication is quite in
order. Since then ! have been able TO
obtain the Ian of IL copy of the Financial
News of April so, 1884, and it lays here
at the disposal of any one who chooses to
''tii anu cNuiIlllt IL. IIiS illlillN UlSpOScS
of the assertion that no such article APP
peared in that journal. Other articles
copied from the Financial News during
1874 have been sent over from here and
doubtless will be published. The actual
paper lays here, and can be seen by any
one. am dear sir, your obcdient SER
want, w. DURANT,
To the Editor of Washington Post, Wash
ington, ID. c., u. S. a.
WHAT ''rHE NEWS SAID.
For the information of readers OF the
Post who may not readily recall the orig
inal publication the article from the Lon
don Financial News is herewith appended:
..'Ihcre is Il nlnin nnrnl In tho rn,nnrlc