, 1877-02-25

; actually prevents the Association from saytn
| what it Is, or who 1t is, or where 1t Is. As mai
tcrs noT stand. nobody belongs, and, II IN
clAb cares to stragsle off and Join the Lcag1l
Alliance, Or play lndcpcndcnt, they 1ayu ont
to neglect to send on their $40 and the thing
done. 1t was piece Of incxeusablc careless
ness on the Conventions part, but nobody is /
btame-as is usual in such eases.
Perhaps 1t will turn out all right; ccrtatnl
that is to be hoped. The proper thing for tn,
clubs who intend to join at all is to send oi
their entry ice and names at once in that wa,
the mistake can be corrected. Certaini
nothing but the best is wished the Associatio
here
TIE DoRoAS CASE.
The practice most pernicious in It's effects up
on the best interests OF baseball IS undoubtedl
That poDularly known rs "revolriug," whic
simply means that 9 player, having agreed t
play with certain club during q certain period
repudates such agreement aud sells, or under
takes to sell, his services to another club for tn
same period.
70 the extirpation OF this pernicious practic,
all honorable baseball managers, both in ant
out OF the League, have directed their best ef
forts, and the means that have been found effect
ual among League clubs having been
adopted by the international Association p II
is reasonably certain that no PLAYER guilty o
this oHcnsc will hereafter be able to find chi
pioyment, since clubs arc not only prohibited
| plaring against any club presenting such an in
| dividual in its nine. The PLAYER who seems
likely to furnish the first illustration OF thu
workings OF this rule during the coming season
| is NJ. G. Dorgnn, who gained some reputation
as player in the Syracuse Stars of 1876. Ever
| since the announcement OF his engagement to
play with the St. Louis Club in the present
Year, conflicting rumors regarding his contract
aud his intentions have been circulating through
u the press.
THE TRIBUNE, having friendly interest In
] the Star Club Of Syrncuse, has published the
views Of the adhercnts of that club, who claim
that Dorgan should stay In Syracuse, and, in
| order that its readers may understand the lnat-
ter fully, herewith presents an account OF tue
| transactions between the st. Louis Club and
] Dorgun, which it has succeeded iu obtaining
from sources In St. Louis TINT can be relied
| upon:
| Nov. 20, 1876, an officer of the St. Louis Club
] wrote to DQrgan, asking il he was at liberty to
sign contract with that club for 1877, to which
| he replied atlirmatively, and stated that he
would enter the service Of that club on GER
NEGOTIATIONS, In which Dorzan manifested his
desire 10 Join the st. Louis Club, he signed q
contract Dec. 10, 1876, that was in the exact
form Of the contract between the St. Louis Club
and Clapp, and the contract WIS signed by Dor
gan in the presence Of Clapp. This contract
! and on the date Of its receipt dec 2S) i remit
tance Of an advance under the contract WAS
mailed to Dorgan, together with form OF no
tfee Of the contract, to be signed BY Dorgan for
transmission to the Secretary Of the League.
Jan. Dorgan telegraphed an officer of the
st. Louis Club as follows: 81 wish you would
send me on some money at once, as I need it
bad, and obligc yours, NJ. G, DoRaAS.'
Having already sent the money the eane Of
tlcer Jan. teiegraphed Dorgan, asking II he
had received the money and papers to which
Dorgan replied Jan. 3, Have received them all
right"
Jau. 9, one week after its receipt, Dorgan re-
turned the notice unsigned, and draft for the
same amount as he had rcceiycd from the st.
Louis Club In his letter Of transmittal Dorgan
refused to sign the notice, and asked for his
release.
The letter, although signed :. NJ c. Doreah,'
who few days previously had written to st.
Louis as an officer Of the Star Club, the St.
management sent Clamp to Syracuse to see
Dorgan, telegraphing C!app, who was .stlll at
nstrnetes s ne@s ~ tS aWe viii tns aet reesss
Dorgan under any circumstances. He
must comply with contract or suffer consequen-
ces."
Clapp saw Dorgan, and the latter signed the
notice, which was subsequently transmitted to
the Secretary Of the League.
The St. Louis Club has since received notice
That Dorgan will not go TO st. Louis, and that
he ,cW play in the Syracuse nine.
:, This case requires but little comment Had
the season Of lS77 when he signed, on Dec Is,
the contract to play with St. Louis for that
period. he would undoubtedly be "reVolver'
IRON the Syracuse Club, but the officers OF
certify that he was not under contract
with the Stars at that time, hence 4e
was fully eligible to contract with the st. Louis
Club. His omission to sign tile notice (which
was not at the time presented for his signature)
could not, in the slightest decree, impair the
va ff ntFh:tt
obligation UPON either the St. Louis Club or
himself. The provision of the League Consti-
tuition regarding notices Of contracts that was
in force when the Dorgan contract was 1ndde, Is
as follows: 't 1t shall be the duty Of 4 club, as
soon as it shall have entered into contraet
with player, to. file mobilization of the same,
signed hy the Club and the player, with the
Secretary OF the League, who shall indorse
notify every other League club OF such con-
tract"
This provision had no effect whatever upon
contracts, but Simply pto7ided method OF
advising League Clubs Of their having been |
made. In this case the ST. Louis club did not
the contract with Dorgan was made, iur the !
reason that its agent had omitted to obtain such |
a paDer, and the sole reason why Dorgan did /
not sign such notice at the same time that he |
ask him to do so. So far as the contract itself
is concerned, the notice to the League Secretary,
like the attestatEon by witness, forms no palt |
Of the contract, but is merely evidence Of its !
execution. |
We're any such evidence lacking in December,
1t was fully supplied in January, by Dor4an's
kilograms asking for part Of the consideration
money, and acknowledging its receipt.
The evidence Of the contract, and OF Dorgan's
eligibility to make it, is perfectly conclusive.
without the notice which he subsequently
Signed and should he full to comply with its
:erms Wheu the season opens he will undoubt-
idly suffer the penalty, and any club that may
Undertake to present him in its nine will be
hut cut from the baseball arena
A GRACEFUL ACT.
Alr. Henry Chadwick, the we1l-known ball
.ditor, does equal honor to his head aud heart
n the following letter to Secretary Spalding Of
he Chicago Club. It is not 4 little to Mr..
;hadwick's credit that he has risen abore any
,ther feeling than that Of sympathy and friend !
mess for gentleman attacked by 4 scavengcr,
$ Spalding has been:
BRooKLYN, Feb. 17.-A. G. Spoldtng, Dear
':r: II Is with sincere regret that hive seen pub
shcd statements rejecting upon your Integrity Of
haracrer as ball playeF. While 1t can with |
ntire safety be left TO honorable record alone
efute amy such absurd charge, still It IL we'll j
hat those who have been intimate with your ca
eer in basel ball circles should come to the front
IN expression OF their opinion the subject, as
ave your former confreres Of the Boston club, and
heir honorcd officers who have been go intimate
18th you for years past during your terms OF club