Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-10
NEWPORT SOCIETY
oevotes Itself to Expense Without Re.
gard to Pleasure.

From the New York Times
NO sociologist can view without SYM
pathy and admiration the earnest effort
that is reported to be making to preserve
society in Newport from contamination.
Nothing is more remarkable than the de-
sire of people to get into society for which
their education manners or fortune has
untitled them, excepting possibly the neces-
sity of organizing an apparatus to keep
them out. One would suppose that like
would seek like in Newport, as elsewhere;
that birds of a feather would flock to-
gether, and birds of a different feather
would flock apart, without the necessity of
any organization. 1t seems. however. that
this is not the case, and that forty persons
whose own status is beyond question have
been chosen or have chosen themselves
like the eQuinumerant immortalS of the
French Academy or the single dictator of
the Roman republic, to take care that the
commonwealth shall take no detriment.
1t would be most interesting if these
chosen ones would only issue manual
containing their standards of eligibility,
beyond the great basic prohibitions of the
provision of pie for breakfast and the use
of the knifeblade for the transportation of
food. 1t Is quite true that, from time to
time, the cottages of the cottagerS and
even the palaces of the palacers are to let,
and that the only guarantees eXacted from
those who would occupy what Mr.. Dooley'
ury and alimonyn are of a financial char
acter. But, really. issnot this the only tan
gible basis of what sarrogates to itself the
title of society in Newport? There are
large number of persons as well born, as
well hammered and as we'll educated as the
members of this exclusive circle who man
age to spend their summers In the most
delightful of American coast resorts with
out troubling themselves in the least about
the performances of these latter These
sensible persons are of the mind of Byron
There is Society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music In its roar
The late Colonel Warning was one of
these, and when Newport correspondent
OF this journal wrote to it that the smart
set of Newport devoted themselves TO
pleasure regardless of expense, promptly
filed protest that they really devoted
themselves to expense, regardless of pleas
ure And to the onlooker 1t does seem that
the condition of admission to the pleas
ures of the smart set, like the condition Of
the hiring of one of their abOdeS is merely
pecuniary and ought to be settled by the
amount of the initiation fee. The social
exchanges of Newport are SAID TO be regu-
lated upon the strictest principles of recl-
nrocity EXCEPT in the case of a donkey or
a monkey occasionally introduced to en-
liven a dinner party or of biped able ana
willing to behave as sich.' What sense is
there in pretending that pure plutocracy
&c ANYTHING else or that there Is any stand
ard applica BILE other than that furnished by
the ratings of the commercial agencies? To
ha sure the capacity as well as the willing
ness and the pecuniary ability to entertain
ought to count for something. Not from all
social eligibles can such strokes of social
genius as the evocation of the donkey or
the monkey be expected to emanate; but
nroof of a reasonable degree of skill in
hospitality may properly be exacted. as
we'll as certified statement of an eyre
gious balance at the bank. Inc late Car
ence King made a whimsical suggestion
about an income tax, to the effect that
every possessor of an income beyond a
.,,odor.te and fixed amount should be sum-
.oned before a board of examiners and re-
CURED to show affirmatively that he knew
bow to spend so much money, the excess
being confscated in case Of his failure
fII a useful function in constituting them
selves such a board. But the wonder will
remain why any human being should take
to heart his, or even her, failure ne TO QUARRY