, 1879-03-16

Morgan.
BASE-BA LII.
THE TARIFF QUESTION
Notwithstanding that THE TRIBUNE on
former occasion presented the matter III ''s
proper light, there seems to DC an impression
among the newspapers thatpay any attent'on ~
baseball that the rate OF admission TO Lea9ue
games is fixed by the League ITSELF ana tllat 1'e
f;ty-cent tariff which has always been chasgeo
was something to change which required les's.
Iation by that body. Such is not Tue ease' anu
the intense state OF excitement into WHICH
suudry papers have worked themselves ID us
cussing the MATERIAL their arguments oehls
based on the premise that the League n2eu .ne
rate OF admission to its games at nal1 ao'lar
is both ridiculous and absurd. lheg nave
crayc1y argued the case from all posssoie sta11o-
points, and earnestly besought and ADVISED tne
League to do this, and that, and the other thing,
in profound ignorance all the time OF the iact
that their rhetorical pop-guns were DeinS nfeo
at man Of straw constructed ana set up W
themselves.
There is not one line In the League Constitu-
tion or playing rules that touches upon INC
question Of how much or how little League
clubs shall charge the public for the prt Vllege
OF witnessing the games in which they may take
mart. The only reference to the matter in any
shape is q proyiso that in all cases the visiting
club shall receive Is cents for every admission
registered by the turnstilc. II the local cluo
chooses to charge dollar admission 1t may 10
so, or If it concludes to let folks IN fer 70 cents
apiece or for nothing, it is at equal liberty to
pursue that plan. All the visiting club Is entl-
tled to ask for Is Is cents for each spectator
and it can neither complain nor protest II Luis
sum is paid.
In the East it is generally thought TINT this
subjest of admission-rates will be brought up
for regulation at the meeting Of the League to
be held Mt Buffalo on the 9Th Of the present
month. Whether it will or not, The TRIBUNE
does not pretend to sav, but one thing IS GER
tain: that any change from tue present tarsal
rates it. This is all. There. is no club In the
West that has any notion OF changing the pres
ent custom, but in the East there IS 1ce1'hs
that, as the people have been accustomed to pay
but Is cents to sec games they wl4 stny aWny VIZ
II higher price Is charged. Especially IS thls
the case in Syracuse, the Stars OF which city
were recently admitted to the League The
widest kind Of prophecies are made by the pa
pers Of that city us to the utter dcsolation that
will ovc1whelm the Club III case the tariff is
raised from Is to so cents. The Times OF q re-
cent date deyotes column to the subject, and
says:
First it is only too apparent that in city Of the
size Ut this, and in times like the present. ls not
will be cut down 10 or 80 per cent by this heavy
tax for admission. great element in the patron
age Of ball games everywhere comes from the mid
die claeses Of eociety-mcchnnics and labortns
men. To all such, so cents admission Mcans al-
most total exclusion from the grounds. Such men
not only sacrifice the price OF admission when thcy
attend bali game, butalso from q quarter to
half days time. It is different from almost any
other kind Of amusement. which can DC attended
in the evening. after the days work j. done. be.
the game among the lower classes. who, although
many OF them might 4 Her no loss Of time, wonld
be kept ont Of the grounds solely through their
utter inanlitJ to command the price Of admission.
In strictly fnancini sense. then. we believe that
the seasons receipts will be smaller with the price
of admission at 80 cents than tt 1t Is lower.
Another objection to sc:t.ng one sweeping price
Of admission to the entire crumbs. grand stand
and all, is this, and we state 1t without intending
to offer to amy person ydissespect 1t will place
all humanity who wish to witness game upon one
level, and throw the entire asscmbage into pro-
| miscuous relations which will never be tolerated
by our higher social clas3e5 who habltually patrou
| iie the game. We cam i'll remember many in
| stances-hundreds OF them-of seeing drunken
foces unwashsd loasss @ ana st aftant 1ackegs
Of any regulations which rrlll deprive the wealthy
and respected gentleman from securing seat apart
h soe W
| has always prevailed here, and which always and
pa1!a qa1y 70 an in
same manner that such q rcsult is accomplished in
an opera- house. 1T
There is a good dell Of solid sense in that
portion Of the above which relates to the separa-
ton Of respectable people from the hoodlum
element which is alway stmore or less prominent
| at ball matches und The only effective way of
| bringing about this SEPARATION is by fixing q
| higher prize Of admission to the grand stand
than to other parts OF the grounds. But, on the
| c.&h;n rf A4pisG1nn Nyrnrn4R and