St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-22
Spalding ct al. Claim to Be
the Brown-SeQuardS Of
Base Ball.
But for Their Efforts the Ma
tional Game Would Have
Died Young.
Honesty Is Their Policy, and
They Will Fight the
Brotherhood.
Fred Pfefer Says the League
Magnates Are a Lot OF
IeeoheS.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 21.-The COM
mittee which was appointed at the re-
cent annual meeting of the National
League of Professional Ball clubs to
prepare an address to the public, detin-
ing the position or that organization in
the recent base ball controversy, com
rleted its labOrs to-day. The committee
consisted of MeSSrs. a. G. Spalding, OF
Chicago; John b. Day. of New York,
and John l. Rogers. of Philadelphia.
The text of the address follows:
To the public: The National league
of professional base ball clubs has no
apology to make for its existence, or
for its untarniShed record of fourteen
wears. 1t stands to-day SIS II has stood
during that period, sponsor for the hon
eStv and integrity of professional base
ball. 1t is to this organization that the
PLAYER of to-day owes the dignity OF his
profession and the munificent salary he
is guaranteed while playing III It's ranks.
The
GOOD NAME OF THIS LEAGUE
has been assaulted, its motives impugned
and its integrity questioned by some OF
the very men whom it has most bene-
fitted. The league therefore asks the
public to inspect its record and com
pare the following statement OF facts
with the selih and malicious accusa-
tiOnS of its aSSailants. The National
league was organized in 1876 as
a necessity to rescue the game
from its slough of corruption
and disgrace and take il from the hands
of the bail players who had controlled
and dominated the National association
Il hnn MI M
effort was made by the old association
to control its members. and the result
was that contract breaking. dissipation
and dishonesty had undermined the
game TO such an extent that it seemed
an almost hopeless task TO attempt its
rescue. The league, upon Its organlza-
ton, abolished pool selling and open
betting on its grounds, prohibited Sun
day games and excluded the sale OF
liquors. A better class of people were
invited to attend the exhibitions, and
more systematic way of conducting the
game was introduced. But the old Gus
toms and abuses were not to be crowded
out without struggle. At the end OF
the season of 1876 two of the strongest
clubs. the MutualS. of New York, and
the Athletics, of Philadelphia, were.
ARRAIGNED BEFORE THE LEAGUE
for violating their schedule engage
mentS. This was the first crisis the
league was called upon to meet, and the
world knows how promptly and vigor-
ously it faced the issue by expeIling
those two prominent clubs, represent
Ing as they did its most pOpulOus and
best paying cities. The following sea-
son $50 was a disastrous one finan-
cially, and ended with but five clubs in
the league, in one of which u4ouiSyillel
were players publieally accused of dis
honesty. The league promptly inveStI-
gated these charges, and when the tour
PLAYERS of the club-DeVlin. Hall,
Cravt,r and NieholS--were proven guilty
of selling games, they we're promptly
expelled and have never been rein
stated. These two steps boldly taken
when the league was struggling for ex-
istence. settled the question as to
clubs obligations TO the league, and
forever baniShed dishonesty from its
ranks, stigmatiZing the latter as an un-
pardOnable crime. The struggle for eX-
istence for the next three or four years
was desperate, and at each annual meet
ing there occurred vacancies difficult to
NIL because of the almost
CERTAIN FINANCIAL DISASTERS
threatening clubs in smaller cities.
Finally, as a check upon competition,
the weaker clubs in the league demand
ed the privilege of TeServing tve play
erS, WHO would form nucleus of a
team for the coming season. This was
the origin of the reserve rule" and
from its adoption may he dated the de-
yelOpmPnt of better financial results.
The system of reserve having proven
beneficial both to clubs and players, the
reserve list was increased to eleven.
then to fourteen, or an entire team.
Under this rule the game has steadily
grown in favor, the salaries OF players
have more than trebled and a higher
degree of skill been attained. Out of,
and as an incident to reservation"
arose releases for pecuniary conSidera-
tiuns, the right of reservation being
conceded. the clubs claim on the
players continuous services must
be of some value. But except in
cases of disbandlng or retir ing clubs
that riFht has never been transferred
without the players cooperation and
consent, usually at his request and fO-
his own pecuniary PmOlument. In the
exceptional case of the disarmament or
retirement of league club, the inyolun-
tary transfer of player to new club
was the subject of complaint by COM
mittee of the brotherhood in November.
1851. But after several hours confer
enee with the league committee the
former were obliged to admit that such
involuntary transfer Was absolutely eS-
Sential to the welfare, if not to the eX-
istence, of the league, and while it
MIGHT WORK APPARENT HARDSHIP
to one or two individuals its abolition
would imperial the continuance of full
eight club membership, and the employ
ment of perhaps thirty fellow players.
The brotherhood committee therefore
wrote into the contract they had fOrmu-
lated, the fifteenth paragraph by which
each signing player expressly comedies
such involuntary transfer of the right
of reservation to his services from his
club-if it should disband or lose its
league membership-tO ANY other club
or association" provided his current
salary be not reduced. And the neces-
sitv for some such power of preserving
the circuit of lehgue. bp approximate
" equalizing its playing strength, is
recognized by the new league; for they
give this extraordinary power" of
transferring players, with or without
consent, and with or without club dis
bandment to a central tribunal of six
teen directors whose fat is final. In
view of these facts and concessions the
use or Sucn terms as -DOnudRe. SldV-
cry" ''sold like sheep" etc, becomes
MEANINGLESS AND Absurd.
At the annual meeting of the league
In NOven Der, 1881, the Brotherhood
asked and received recognition upon
the statement of its representatives
that it was organized for benevolent
purposes. and desired to go hand-in-
hand with the league in perpetuating
the game, increasing its benefits, poau-
larity, and elevating the moral standard
of its players. They disavOwed any in
tentiCn or desire to interfere with the
business affairs of the league, the sala-
ries of players, or the reserve rule"
simply asking that the contract be so
revised that it in itself would
indicate every relation between the
club and such individual player.
This brotherhood contract"
when accepted and adopted
has never been violated by the league
either in letter or in spirit, and we chal-
lenge proof in contradiction of this de-
claration. To correct miSapprehen-
Il