The times., 1898-02-03
MR.. PLATT HAS THE PROOF.
He Can Cor roborate What He Said
of the Sugar Trust.

/ of the Sugar Trust.
The statement made in executive ses-
/ sion on Tuesday by Senator Platt OF
Connecticut that money was being
! used by the Sugar Trust to defeat the
Hawaiian annexation treaty, appears
1 to be susceptible of that proof which
! Mr.. Platt said could be produced to cor
roborate the assertions he made. 1t is
! true that this proof is in the nature
/ of circumstantial evidence, but it is
a rule of law that cirtumstantial evil
| dence, when every link of the chain is
! present, is much more competent and
/ convincing than direct evidence, which
may be the result of false swearing.
| Since Mr.. Platt made this statement
+! Senators have been comparing notes,
! and they have found that there is a
/ wonderful similarity in the appeals
made to them, both by letter and by
! wire urging them to vote against the
annexation treaty. One of the Senators
OF a more inluIrlng mind tnan his as
sociates has succeeded in getting 10
the bottom of the whole business. This
Senator received a number of teie-
grams from his constituents who live
in particular section of his State, pro-
testing against the annexation of the
Hawaiian Islands.
There was no reason why these pro-
tests should come, and there was such
similarity in them that it suggested
itself to him that they We're the result
of organization rather than spon-
taneous uprising of the people on this
particular subject He therefore wrote
to one of the senders of a telegram with
whom he was well acquainted, asking
why he was so jealous in the defeat
of the treaty. This correspondent, who
happened to be prominent farmer
who ordinarily pays no attention to
matters of this character, replied with
a franllness that was refreshing that
he had no personal interest in the mat
ter whatever, and that what he had
done had been suggested by the pub
fishers of literature intended for circu-
lation among the farming classes.
AS proof OF the assertion, he inclosed
to the Senator a letter written by a
Chicago publishing company, which is
engaged in the business Of publishing
various kinds of pamphlets, papers and
other literature usually circulated
among the agriculturists. This letter
requested the recipient to wire his Sen
ator Immediately protesting against the
lied the recipient to forward 70 the
company a copy of the telegram sent
to the Senator. together with the tolls
paid, the statement being made that
reimbursements would follow for all
charges or costs expended by the send
er of the telegram.
1t is not believed that the patriotic
sentiments of the Chicago company
have induced it To enter the field
against Hawaiian annexation, and TO
guarantee the expenses of farmers
throughout the country who may be
persuaded 10 protest by telegraph
against Hawaiian annexation. The sup
position is. and Senators have reached
that conclusion, that back of the COM
pany stands the Sugar Trust. ready to
put up any amount of money necessary
in order To pay these expenses as an in
cident necessary to securing the defeat
of the Hawaiian annexation treaty
1t transpires that Senators from va
rious parts of the country have recetV-
ed just such kilograms and others who
have taken the trouble TO run them
down have discovered that they have
their source and inspiration in the
same publishing house. In every case
this firm has offered to make good any
expenses incurred in communicating
with Senators on the subject.
Senator Platt knew of this condition
Of affairs and it was this knowledge
that led him to- make the assertion in
the executive session Tuesday that
money was being spent by the Sugar
Trust to defeat the treaty. The expose
had a very marked effect. and Senators
who had begun to think that perhaps
there was a genuine sentiment in the
country against his policy of annnexa-
ton have realized the fact that the op-
position was forced, and is the result
solely OF a judicious expenditure OF
dollars and cents on the part OF that
organization which more than any
other will profit by the failure OF the
United States to annex the Hawaiian
Islands.
Thus has another scheme of the Su-
gar Trust been exposed and the effect
which might have been felt will be
neutraliZed by the timely exposure OF
the fraud by Senator Plate.