The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-17

Already the subject of annexation
is being pushed into prominence at
Washington, but the situation at the
start is not so encouraging as we had
hoped to see.
''The enemies to annexation are
claiming everything in sight and avow
that number of Senators who were
favorable to annexation at the extra
session of Congress, have now changed
their views and are out and out work
ers against the project, and that it will
be impossible to obtain the necessary
two-thirds vote of the Senate for the
ratification of the treaty.
Many outside of Congress who are
friendly to the cause predict that the
treaty will be abandoned and that the
friends of annexation in Congress will
have to fall back upon Morgan's joint
resolution as being the surest method
of the attainment of their desires.
"All such opinions, however, are
mere conjectures at this early stage of
the proceedings, and we can but think
that a little later there will be develop
ments more encouraging to the plan of
ratification of the treaty by the Senate.
"Mr. Thurston wires today that the
situation is not developed sufficiently
to enable any decision as to the course
to be followed; that there is no present
intention to abandon the treaty, and
the Republican leaders are giving the
subject earnest attention He states
further that the decision as to course of
action will probably await the return
of the President from his home in Can
ton (where he has gone to the death
bed of his mother) and that the oppos-
ition is not as strong as indicated in
the papers.
However, whatever course may be
pursued there is bound to be a desper-
ate struggle and we shall be glad when
the lines are narrowed down to those
of actual warfare, and the issues that
are to be met are clearly defined; we
will, we hope, be able to give you more
definite news by the next opportunity"
There was annexation talk every
where yesterday. The dispatch news
of the Senate estimate was not news at
all to a few people here. The exact
facts were told in letter that has been
here nearly three months, and that was
sent from New York by gentleman
working for annexation.
Advices to the Foreign Office here
are brief, with very little as to actual
information that has not been at hand
for some time The campaign is SIM
ply in process of shaping itself.
Jas. B. Castle, Secretary of the Lega-
ton at Washington, writes that the op-
position is beginning to show activity
but has made no gain so far. The
friends Of annexation are laboring
earnestly, and have so far, found moth
ing which shakes their confidence in
the belief that the treaty can be put
through the Senate.
P. c. Jones received number of let
| ters on various phases of the situation.
From these he has no cause to change
his opinion as to the ultimate success
of the annexation project Those who
oppose the measure are exerting them
selves to the limit, and as has been
known all along, will be able to make
a stubborn resistance Mr. Jones be-
lieves that much of the newspaper talk
is inspired by anti-annexationists and
that some of the articles of gloomy hue
are put forth simply as feelers.
B. F. Dillingham; is satisfied with the
outlook. He says the Senate is anchor
ed to the will of the American people
and the majority of the members OF
Congress cannot get away from it.
Some of the leaders of the opposition
are inclined to manoeuvre, but are sim