The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1904-10-28
WHY Mr.. BRYAN DENIES |T.
THERE is NO DENYING THAT HE
DID DENY IT.
NO DENYING THAT HE SAID IT
The Reason Why MIR. Bryan's Denial
Has Not Appeared in Any Other
Norfolk Say That He Said Here.


Newspapers-What His Friends in
Norfolk Say That He Said Here.
\ number of the followers OF w. J.
Bryan, who heard his Norfolk speech
and who have since read in The News
that he denied parts of it, as reported
since. have asked the question, "Why
haven't we seen those denials, if he
made them, in any other newspapers?
Why, if he denied the reports to the
Associated Press. haven't other news
papers who belong To the Associated
Press, published his denials?"
The reason for the absence of any
thing in other papers is the fact that
Mr. Bryan has not denied. for publ
cation, the reports. lie has merely
written a private letter to Secretary
Thomas of the Associated Press, in
which he took exception to that part
of the report from Norfolk which re-
ferred to his statement that Roosevelt
would carry Nebraska He did not
write that letter for the public prints
The only way in which The News Sc
cured the news was the fact that the
Associated Press, facing possible
damage suit or a possible libel case
in event the reports, as Mr. Bryan
says, were untrue, called upon the
correspondent in Norfolk for an eX-
planation.
The Associated Press merely wrote
to the Norfolk correspondent as a
matter of preparing to defend its pub
fishing that report of Mr.. Bryan's
speech. The letter which came from
the Nebraska correspondent located in
Omaha, says, MIR. Bryan takes excep-
tion to that part of the report which
says that he conceded Nebraska to
Roosevelt Kindly tell us just what
he said"
If the Associated Press had found,
upon investigation, that it had
wronged Mr.. Bryan. it would have car
ried his denial and an apology for the
report The Associated Press is a
great, neutral newsgathering associa-
tion, serving absolute fact to papers
throughout the world, regardless of
politics or anything else.
And that is the reason why that de-
nial has not appeared in the telegraph
ic reports That is the reason why
the denial has been published alone
by The News.
Prior to the letter asking just what
the peerless leader had said on this
S,,hi
Norfolk correspondent of the Associat-
ed Press in which it was said that Mr..
Bryan took exception to the remark
quoted from his speech in which he
declared that Parker was too much
like Roosevelt. That remark was
shown to have been made and the AS.
sociated Press, by mail, replied to
Mr. Bryan's denial, showing him the
defense of the publishing, as given
from the Norfolk office. It appears
that the Associated Press was mis-
taken in the point which Mr.. Bryan
wished to deny. For he replied that
it was not the Parker ermark, but the
quotation which said that Roosevelt
would carry Nebraska, to which he
wished to take exception.
Why He Denies it.
The reason why Mr.. Bryan should
: wish to deny that he ever had said
/ either of those things, and thus throw
. the blame upon the Associated Press
for misquoting him, is very evident
That Norfolk speech has already be.
come famous. 1t was heralded from
coast to coast in the press of the next
| day after he appeared here, and SO
astonishing were the declarations con
tanned therein that the report was
played up in New York papers, un
r der black "slugs heads" and on the
front page at that. So astounding, in
deed did the report appear in the
l east that on the following day, when
g the democratic leader spoke al
: Creighton and Pierce, a message from
the Associated Press headquarters &c
the Norfolk correspondent said
l Send 200 words on Mr.. Bryan's
/ speech tonight. Be sure and quote
his speeches correctly" 1t was ap
parent, from that telegram, that there
t was something doing-that somebody
e had questioned the reports veracity
S because of their faith in Mr.. Bryan's
t policy.
. Reports from New York, immediate
ly following the Norfolk address, quot
4 ed democratic leaders as saying that
: there is no excuse for such re
d mark" and I'VE trust that Mr.. Bryan
+ may have been misQuoted." Others
e shook their heads and said nothing
+ Papers all over the country contained
5 notes of this stir which had been ere
d ated. 1t was sent out by special cor
:, respondents for the various papers.
n Norfolk Speech Famous.
l. other papers wrote half-column ed
itorials regarding Mr.. Bryan's Norfoli
remarks 1t was evident that his
speech had created a sensation il
a democratic circles, and it was evi
, dent too that the leaders and cam