, 1876-11-20
TEE NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE.

Nj
TEE NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE,
1b tha Editor of The tribune.
CHICAGO, Nov. 18.-A recent article III a New
York newspaper socks to demonstrate TINT the
"Lcnguo experiment" has proven failure, be-
cause, as thn writer alleges, II has not sccurcd-
I. fIoncst plny.
2. Tho ful1llmcnt by clubs OF their engage
mcnts to play games.
Q. Tho reduction Of the admission fec from 80
n Ok cania :,
!. Inc Pronaolslon o! contfaets "'tn players
before TIC expiration of playing season.
In support OF the frat proposition the writer
asserts TINT "thcro has never been scasot,
"Aeh 'e1ooheu Pay ana ,,s'olsi"s p'e'aaae'1
70 IN, Inc o1,cnt a1 t ~ ulo IN .s'o'o
When tho author Of that statement shall pro-
~ .,rr,'o s,,,, ,,nrtn ti,a % s,oson ~ 1s1s Ito
as.ar.ton IN, 1ovo ann,o ,ve,g,t Moar,tn,o
assertion VIII nave Soine WEIGHT hAcantt'he,
attention Is invited to Inc 1act that There hayc
been but thrco instances wl'crc It l,as been 60
,,o T., t,o ~ ,r,,o la. ho,r gI,1, ~ ti.honos,
INV '9w ~ Wv '.I"s"e .as "eIu s'1y y. ue""ees
play uurlnB .ac cpt,sa ecaSoh' ~ tlie case ..
Bechtc, tho Louisville Club, by their subsequent
facts warranted, In yindcatlng tho principles OF
tnc AS"sue' n"He ;" 't' eao' "a P'"9o q a. Wv
St. Louis Club, and ono In the Hartford, the
chnrocter and standing. and 1norc tlcen1y con-
corncd finn nrr thcr norao,a bceo,no sntisocd
es.ntu .n" Wy o.ns4 pe1avns' u,.v oas'oneu,
after thorough 'hsesssat'on' that the ehaFges
wcro wholly without foundation.
As To "rcvotyinr.n there certainly hns not
| hecn nm ,natancc wharf r,,nvcr Of ono Lcornc
o,rh Wrovo,vo,1,, ~ .rnt,or and IN c1ses
e4ao fcyo''cu W aHot"e., anu ~ salScs
where League club lias ayailcd ITSELF OF the
services ot q player belonging 70 an outside
club tno fanltl whsre tlero has psen any llas
ton Of such otltslho c!nb, aud 1t Inns been stated
tlat memhors q TUG League propose to provide
for tho protection Of outsldu clubs In this par
tlenlar at tte coming 1 r. meeting; .uo,o,.,o, .,o
ln aupport e. hls efsond sSsqn prsoRostto to
bio failures to plny out engagements Ms in the
case Of two OF the prominent clubs Of tho League
Association in lS.6."
bly fate:l to play nut t'leir engagements, and It
"a equally true ttsnt no power on Garth can COM
pei club to play ball or player To- play hon
estly unwilling to DO 90. What tho League
do, ": to provide TINT such defaults ahell Be
punished BY forfeiture Of membership, and It Is
q sni'lcient answer to the Now York article 70
call attention to tho fact that. at tho time stch
cntire unanmlty, announced that tho clubs in
! question had thereby forfeited their mcmbcr-
Bhsp. There Is no doubt that, Il the Lcagu.
should restore other Of those c1nbB to member
ship, there would bo ample reason to denouMco
tha "Lcae.le experiment" aa failure, bu.
there is no prospect that 80 suicidal au act OF
folly will be committed.
Ii reply to the third proposition, Il is only
necessary to say that tho success or failure of
tbs League cannot depend upon tho price Of nd
mission to game Of 6asc-bal1, sinco tho League
never ],ns attempted, never will attempt, and
never ought to attctnpt to, regulate TINT mt
| ter, Tho standard OF value to spectator Of q
game Of ball-lko that Of my other entertain
mcnt-consists, obvlously, In the quality OF tho
| entertainment.
II, therefore, tho kind of ball p]aycl In New
York Is worth only cs cents, thore is nothing III
tho constitution Of tho League to compel tic
Inhabitants OF that village to pay more to Wit
ness IL; whle, on the other hand, so long us tic
inhabitants Of Chicago crowd tjlo crouuls Of tjlo
Chicago Club at 90 to 75 ccnts each thores nothing
tho @ Of hs .essae s T. to
wijlnr to nav or to deny tho visiting clubs tlojr
simulated share Of th9 rate Fccclpts at tho