Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-07-30
TO THE DIAMOND STATE BASE BALL
CLUB, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

Gentlemen Your elaborate letter of the
18th inst, has been read We are sorry there
should be any necessity for a continuance of
this unfortunate controversy. We shall write
nothing on the subject now, but to call your
attention to some simple facts in the case which
you have inexplicably overlooked.
You say "the evssiye and indirect letter of
Mr. Bell does not declare that Mr.. Malone was
ever member the Athletic club" 1t is fair
to suppose you had not a copy of said letter
before you when writing the foregoing sen-
tence. 1t the letter was near at hand, we can
not conceive of good motive which should
induce you to speak of it in such terms. If
you will be kind enough to refer to Mr.. Bells
letter, you will read, "Mr Malone has not yet
rendered his resignation as member of this
club; and so consider him as subject TO the
rules of the club" Would they consider him
sui ject TO the rules of a club of which he was
not member We do not believe MIR. Bell
had any design to be "evasive" in the nete re.
ferred to; and it it be necessary to enlighten
anybody on this point, he will probably fur
nish letter that will convince the most obtuse
of his direct meaning. Doubtless you failed to
notice he is Secretary OF the Athletic club, and
who knows better than the Secretary of the
club who constitute its members. An EXPIRES
ident2 delinquent member However, you
say "the accompanying letter from Col. Fitz-
gerald, President of the Athletics during all
the time to which our discussion relates, will
show that the Athletics themselves never re-
garded him as member" Your astuteness
is certainly astonishing. Col. F's. letter says,
Il beg leave to state that have not considered
Mr. f. Malone a member of the Athletic club
for more than year. He left us early last spring.
'For more than a year !" What about the mat
ter previous to that "year2" Can you tell us,
or will the Colonel have to write another let
ter explaining the first one2 "He left US early
L. 1. /
was there Perhaps you have some lawy ers In
the club who can solve that problem. You
will notice therefore the Colonel makes 1t ap-
pear that Mr. Malone was once member of the
Athletic club, and the Secretary of the club
declares he has never resigned said mem bership,
and that they consider him subject to the rules
of the club, one OF which rules is, that no
member of the club shall play match game
| with any other club. Regarding the statement
| about Mr.. Malones membership in the Key
stone club, We have nothing to say; as we know
| on that point no more than you have informed
us. What has this to do with your difficulty
| He may not have been of sufficient Importance
in tina: club to constitute an objection by the
Athletics, against whom, you say he played in
| a match game with the Keystone club. But,
| as ysu declare, the Atlas club had special
reason to object to Mr.. Malone playing against
them, as by that means your club were victors
in the contest On the sth of June. What they
might have done il they had beaten you at
that time, we cannot see how you can tell, as
they probably do not themselves know what
course they should have taken. In addition
TO all this, the captains of the two playing
nnes on the occasions We understand, agreed
to play, after protest by the Atlas club against
Mr.. Malone's playing, las he was then known
not to be entitled to play in that match, though
the Atlas had not at that time received the tes-
timony in the case in the tangible form 10
which they have since presented it,) with al
understanding that any difficulties subsequent
ly discovered in the matter, should be amica-
bly, settled, by declaring said match game null
) and void. And you are "settling" it with a
vengeancel
You say, "your mistake is in concluding tina
because club simply voted to elect person
to membership, he thereby becomes mem
|, ber." Pardon us for suggesting they have no