, 1876-12-03
prospect Of q Lirely Time at the Cle7e-
land Congress This Week.
reneral Trotting and Racing Notes
1.-The New Orleans Meeting.
Tabulated Results Of the Recent New
York Billiard Tournament,
A Days Shooting by the Evans
ton Gun Club.

n Professional DILL %l4Do3 hulEl1 lAAE8 ptAIE a
Cleveland this week will be one OF the most i'm
nortant gatherings in its effect upon the gam<
witch vas ever held in this country. Th.
League was formed last February QUO Of tn
1erT strongest materials then existing, ant
u,on rational aud proper basis. It cam,
through the season with better results thar
.rer attended any other association In the past
md its members played more championship
r,mcs, aud with better financial results
Than could have been done otherwise. Above
and beyond all, the organization va.
satisfactory to the people. and the,
generally favored it With better patronage and
confidence than they had accorded to any pre-
yious years gamcs. The only drawback to the
ncrfcct success Of the system was the failure Of
Two clubs to meet their engagements. Tht
rascs differed, though exactly alike in unfair
ness. -The Athletic Club perfectly well knew
It's condition before the last Eastern trip Of the
Western clubs, and it then knew that it could
not carry out its engagements. It had clear,
honorable, aud lair way out Of its diff
Guilty: it could have resigned its member.
shin In the League, and made better reputa-
tstion by SO doing than it has had for five
ycars.
6uL IL ulA ADLLtAs VI tAAO hAAA. ~ hAio VI AE
to its instincts, and it stole from each Western
club whatever money it could its hands on.
II took two-thiras Of the receipts at eight
games with the express promise to return
those games. Every cent that it took in that
way was as clearly stolen as if the management
had way]aid the visiting managers and garroted
them. After it had stolen this money 1t showed
its hand nnd badc the four Western clubs
whistle for either return gnmes or rcompense.
= scmi-honorable course was then open the
Athletic Club could have resigned from the
League. VI course, being swindling concern,
it did nothing Of the kind It laid quiet until
the end Of the season; then, assuming new
face, it de6ed expulsion. And now, on the eve
Of the meeting Of the League, it boasts that it
has raised money to 20 on with, and that the
League cannot prevent its keeping its member
ship.
One question seems pertinent here: # the
Athletic Club has raised money to any consider
able amount, would it not be an honest thing to
dcyotc it to rcimbursing the Western clubs for
the loss incurred By the failure Of the Philadcl-
phians to come West? Or, would it not be
proper to suggest that If the Athletic Club can
ra1se money now to prepare for another seasons
swindling why could it not have raised few
hundred dollars in September to enable its nine
tok keep its engagements!
This is in brief sketch Of the way in which
the Athletic Club has failed to carry out its
pledges. Tic Mutual failure differs from the
other in that MIR. Canmeycr, the manager, was
really unable, though not unwilling, to keep his
engagements.
Both these cases will come before the League
this week, and II anything like the same spirit
peryadcs that body that governed its formation,
11-f1 1a pynp1Infy the Ath-
letic Club as about the FIRST business. 1t is,
however, within the limits Of possibility that
some Of the club-managers may be moved by
promises, prayers, and cntreatles to be willing
to let it go on Tor another year, melted thereto
bg what they deem their self-intercst.
Surprising, for moment, that this idea should
prevail, it may be well to consider the effect,
which will be to break the League
an.9 tate as haa %ang Sa 5R:nts csbs The as bond i
se1fintcrcst, fulf1lment Of obligations, and fear
Of punishment. If it be proved By the failure
to punish gross violation of contract that the
bond is rope Of sand. and that the members Of
to live up to them themselves, or to compel
others to do so, then the League is at once dead;
for, though it may keep up its outward form, it
will be failure in intent and practice.
TIE TRIBUNE wishes ali good to baseball n
this city and to the Chicago Club, and it would
lend any countenance to SO rotten compact
as q League that had no power to
maintain itself or enforce discipline. There
would be only one thing left to do, and that
would be to draw straight out, and by manly,
decent, aud even indignant protest, refuse to
conntenance corruption or swindllng in any
form. The base-ba1l lovers will unquestionably
sustain this action, and the SUCCESS Of themoye-
ment viii be its own reward. There has at no
time been any doubt in the writer's mind that
tbs course was the proper one to pursue, ana
who knows, that such a movement was
thought OF. reporter at once called On MIR. W.
A. Hubert, President OF the Chicago Club. and
sought to draw information from him, With the
,l "Wal yq% N Attend the 1eaga. meeting this
"Certainly shall; there are some important
matters to be discussed
"Do you understand thnt the Athletics are
going to make m attempt to resist being e1-
II cannot say that know much about the
matter. The Mercury, edited By their Secre-
tary, says that no attempt to put them out can
succeed"
*What clubs can vote to keep them in!"
That's hard to say: every club that lives up
to the Constitution and principles Of the League
must vote to enforce the laws. I'have no rea-
son to suppose from knowledge that any one
viii do anything c1sc.''
" " hat Will be the Chicago CLUBS voter!
" To maintain the letter and spirit OF the
Constitution, because the League wouldn't be
worth rotten ryc-straw II clubs were to be al
lowed to default or otherwise break their
pledges; and then he whitewashed back IN
again"
"suppose, for instance, that the League re-
fused to cxpcl the Athletics and Mutuals, what
would you do then!"
II cannot say what the Chicago Club would
j, "But suppose OF course you have thought
the ! matter over, in view of that contingency
ut will be time enough to say what we will
90 when We are forced to it. cannot say
now.n
"But was told only short time ago that
rou had made up your mind to withdraw from
The League aud play independent, II that body
couldn't enforce Its discipline"
- hare never given any one any autoofaty 70
SAY that.n
But is it trues"
Why, don't really know what we shall do
get; everything depends ON the action OF the
l League cannot positively say what would be
But do you think that there will be any con-
test over the Athletic-Mutua1 n1attcr!"
20 not think that there can be any oiner-
eoce Of opinion, and have no idea that there
viii be any real disagreement in the League as
70 what is best when the matter is properly laid
before them. have the utmost faith IN the
other p, members, and that they will promptly 90
the< L 1+f4f