The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21
THE GOSSIP OF GOTHAM.
How the -Four Hundred" Is Crushing
Some characterization.
With a State Department Cipher.
(Copyright)


(Copyright)
New York, Jan. 20.-Rarely do the
members Of New York's Four Hundred
have to deal with a rebellion against
their political power, yet that is the state
Of affairs they have to contend against
just now. 1t seems to be the result Of
what is termed on Fifth avenue the
treachery Of Viewpoints new mayor, Dan
Fearing, himself scion of one Of that
tiourishing watering places most aristo-
cratic families. Very few are in the Sc
cret of the combine" which for the past
five years has dictated the municipal des-
TIMES of Newport from the brown stone
and marble palaces which adorn Fifth
avenue, although the whole country has
come to know that were it not for the
Rhode Islands city popularity as a swell
resort in summer it never would be heard
Of
The combine" consists of the pluto
Gratis in New York who pay taxes upon
the villas which make Newport what it
is. The mem bers of it not only dictate
the tax rate, but have absolute sway in
the matter of public expenditures, and
the city's money goes largely to the max
ing Of such things as drives, promenades
and outdoor beauties. Everything must
be done TO please the Four Hundred under
threats Of the displeasure of that august
body and the consequent boycotting Of
the city for season, which would mean
financial disaster to the local tradesmen
and the army of humble citizens whose
bread and butter depend upon their earn
ings in season. Hence, the mere rumor
that Fifth avenue wants such and such a
thing done is sufficient for Newport. 1t
IS often said, and with perfect
truth, that If one is not rich, it is useless
TO visit Newport on pleasure trip. This
is merely an instance Of the adroitness
with which the combine" attains its
ends. The voters of the little city are
practically Fifth avenue serfs. There is
no influential working or merchant class
there. If you take the trouble to inquire
among the valetaille of Fifth avenue you
will find that they are all citizens of
Rhode island. In other words, the com
binep votes it's lackeys, Just as Tweed
used to vote his henchmen. The mag
mates themselves never appear actively in
the politics of the place They give their
orders in a polished way to the local au-
thorities. through that high-born soul,
George Peabody Wetmore, who is really,
like so many Fifth avenue servants, a New
Yorker now, although he votes as a Rhode
Islander
When the combine" consented to tho
election of Mr. Fearing as mayor of New
port II was supposed that the mere giving
OF orders would as usual, suffice. I'm
aglne the CONSERVATION with which
Fifth avenue learned, the other day, that
Mr.. Fearing absolutely declined to obey
orders. 1t is even said, although the as
sertion seems too wild for credence, that
Mayor Fearing has told the combine"
that NRWnOrt IN IL a 1nnn 10
season and govern itself regardless of
Fifth avenue
The question on Fifth avenue now is:
shall Newport be boycotted this sea-
| sonR" If the little city has the audacity
TO spend its revenues on useful improve
ments instead of catering to Fifth avenue
by beiiowering the driveways and by the
swearing in of special officers to keep the
proletarians from intruding upon the plu-
tocrats, Fifth avenue will be revenged
1t will do as 1t did a few years ago and
stay away from the ungrateful place,
thereby inficting ruin upon the trades
men, the hotel people and the little army
which thrives upon the seasons 'swells !"
The mere rumor of such thing has
| thrown Newport into commissions, and
Mayor Fearing is being implored to give
in to Fifth avenue and let the combine"
have its way in the matter of police and
Improvements.
But the advantages are not all on the
combines side. 1t appears that Fifth
avenue has determined to send George
| Peabody Wetmore to the United States
Senate. This it can do with its New
| port pocket borough at its back, But
should the pocket borough rebel it is all up
with "Wetty," as that aristocrat is
affectionately termed since the day his
wife snubbed the Prince of Wales so aw-
fully. 'Wetty, indeed, finds Newport a
warm place every time he travels there as
a bearer of the combines" orders. So
far, Mayor Fearing has the best of 1t,
but 'Wettyn is alleged to have scheme
for voting all the walters, Wallets, trades
men and grocers at the next election that
will put the combine again in posses
sion of its own.
LEAKY TRANSACTIONS.
There visited New York recently an
emissary from the state department
whose mission was the investigation of
what is automatically termed leak.
The dispatches received by the govern
| ment are, las is well known, sent in ci-
pher. This cipher is guarded with a Sc
crecy meant to be awful, but it was sus-
pected that some unauthorized person had
obtained clew to 1t. The suspicion was
sufficient to start rigid investigat ion,
and the trail led to New York All facts
bearing on these matters are carefully
Hluueu. anu Ine upSuOJ OF Jn6 New York
visitors trip was that there did exist a
suspicion, but no certainty. When he got
back to Washington there was change
in one of the codes. So quietly was the
| business managed that not a soul in the
state department, with three exceptions,
! knew what was afoot. *
This incident illustrates how wary the
! department is with the codes. One of
them is styled the sphinx, !" it is SO
/ guarded. The slightest reason to be-
| lieve that code clerk may be responsible
! for leak results in his suspension. How
ever, our government has been far more
successful than some foreign ones in pro-
! tecting its ciphers. The sphinx" was
devised by a New Yorker now in the
state department, and is as susceptible to
changes as the combination lock
of safe. Hundreds of messages
have been sent in it, and it has
never leaked. The Hawaiian corres
! spondence with Willis is carried on
entirely in this cipher, and it in
never employed except upon urgent occa-
sions, while those intrusted with the mys-
teries of it must be absolutely above sus-
picion; vet even should there be leak,
the alteration of key letter would de-
stroy every clue to an outsider The Bra
lillian correspondence is not written in
this mysterious code. Indeed, il is doubt
tul II the administration would consent
10 its use on an extensive scale, as the
most expert in its mysteries must spend