The Press., 1897-06-24
Washington Letter.

Secretary Sherman, in order to justify his own turn around towards annexation, made diplomatic break and gave away a state secret. He said that under ordi- nary circumstances he was opposed to annexation, but that when he learned that 8 scheme was on for to put Hawaii in possession of Japan, he favored annexa- ton. Thereby hangs the whole story of the hurrying up of the treaty for the an- nexation of Hawaii, which President Mo- Kinley sent to the senate last week. It would have come in time anyway, but the administration recently learned of plot on the part of Japanese on the island and the friends of the ex-queen, who is in Washington, and who made an opera bouffe protest against the ratification of the treaty, to overthrow the present. government of Hawaii and set up one of their own, with the ultimate design of turning the islands over to Japan, and that caused the treaty to go to the senate much earlier than it would otherwise have gone. The Japanese government has all along denied that it had any grabbing in- tention towards Hawaii, and its denial may have been perfectly honest and it may have been entirely ignorant of the plot to overturn the Hawaiian government As the information concerning that plot was secret and was not mentioned in the presidents message accompanying the treaty, diplomats regard 1t as bad break on the part of Secretary Sherman to have publicy mentioned 1t, and the Japanese minister regards his having done so as almost an insult to his country ,and is con- sequently somewhat disgruntled. There Isn't opposition enough to the treaty in the senate to prevent it's ratification, but there is enough to make the debate quite lengthy, so 1t is intended to allow it to go over to regular session.
 No stronger plea for some action on the part of this government that will restore peace to Cuba has been put forth than is contained in an official report prepared by the agricultural department, showing our trade with Cuba for a period of years. For the fiscal year 1893, our commerce with Cuba amounted to $1O2, 1864, ,2O4 for the fiscal year 1896 it had dropped to$47,- 548, ,610, and estimates for the fiscal year 1897 place it at less than $20, ,000, ,000.
 The administration is moving very leisurely towards the inauguration of it's Cuban policy. Gen. Woodford, of N. Y., has been nominated minister of Spain, ,and the official statement made that Ex-Con- gressman Aldrich, of Ills., will shortly be nominated consul-general of Cuba. But there is little probability that either of them will be at their post inside of a month, and the new policy is not to be started until Gen. Woodford gets to Mad rid. Report says the policy will be to re- quest Spain to withdraw it's troops and al- low Cuba to have home rule under a system similar to that in vogue in Canada, and that Spain is willing, provided that this government can persuade the rebel Hous Cubans to accept and to agree to as- sume the debt of Cuba.
 Senator Morgan called attention to the failure of the tariff bill to provide for the repeal of the income tax, imposed by the Wilson tariff bill and declared to be un- constitutional by the supreme court. He said he was glad that the bill did not pro- vide for its repeal, because if it were left upon the statue book, 8 change in the court might cause 1t to be sustained.
 Quite number of senators who helped to knock out the Pettigrew antitrust amendment to the tariff bill have offered amendments of their own. especially aim- ed at the sugar trust, with which they appear to have dread of being considered friendly. One of these, offered by Senator Pettus, prohibits the importation of raw sugar trust, and another, offered by Sena- tor Nelson, provides that any attempt to monopolize the trade in the raw or refin- ed sugar among the states or with other nations shall be punishable, upon convic- tion by a fine of not less than $500, nor more than $10, ,000,or by imprisonment at hard labor not less than six months nor more than two years, or by both said punishments in the discretion of the court. This amendment is very carefully drawn and goes into particulars as to how in dictnaents are to be drawn, ,and what shall be accepted as evidence of the existence of a trust. Notwithstanding all this activity on the part of individual senators there Is no probability that the tariff bill as it finally passes and goes to the presi- dent will contain any antitrust amend ments.
 BUoKLRN's ARNIoA SALvE.-The best