The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-22
NATIONAL BASEBALL
Address Of the New League De-
filming its Position.
THE NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES
Report of Chief Wilson, of the Bureau OF
Construction Register ROsecrans Tells
about Government Bonds.

| PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 21.-A committee
of the National Baseball league has issued
lengthy address to the public defining
the position of that organization in the
present baseball controversy. The ad
dress glorifies the work of the National
| league for the past fourteen years, setting
forth at great length how it has rescued
the national game from the slough of cor
ruption and disgrace into which it had
| fallen in professional playing prior to 1876.
1t tells of all the reforms the league has
accomplished and how it has brought base
ball to high standing; how the
salaries of players have more than
trebled and higher degree of skill
| has been attained. Speaking of the causes
of complaint it says: 1.-THE reserve rule
was adopted for the benefit of the weaker
clubs as check upon competition and that
these weaker clubs might have the nucleus
of team for the next season. The system
proving beneficial, the reserve list was in
creased" Incident to reservation arose
releases for pecuniary considerations but
the address says except in cases of sband-
ing or retiring clubs, the right of a clubs
claim has never been transferred without
the players cooperation and consent. In
the exceptional case of the disbandment Or
retirement of the league club of which
complaint was made by the brotherhood in
1887. committee of players after con-
| ference was obliged to admit that such in
voluntary transfer was absolutely essen
tial to the welfare of the league.
The address calls attention to the fact
that the new players league has given the
extraordinary power of transferring play
ers with or without mems consent or club
disbandment to central tribunal of sixteen
directors, and says in view of these facts
the use of the terms slavery" "sold like
Sheep etc, becomes absurd At the an
nual meeting of the league in November,
1887, the brotherhood received recognition
on the statement of its representative
that it was organized for benevolent pur-
poses and disavowing any intention to in
terfere with the business affairs of the
league. This contract has never been vio-
lated by the league in letter or
Regarding the alleged enormous profits"
of the league clubs, the address says:
During the past five, and only prosperous
years the league has known, there has been
paid in cash dividends to the stockholders
in the eight league clubs, less than one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, while
during the same time the league players
have received in salaries over million and
half of dollars"
The address said the brotherhood knew
when they made demand for q conference
this summer that there was no urgency for
the consideration of their claims and that
the league could not, without the sacrifice
of pecuniary and other interests, convene
its clubs in midsummer. They decided
upon q refusal and started the Or
ganization of rival association
while receiving liberal salaries from their
employers. They secured the signatures
OF IL number of their brotherhood players
under false promise that they would only
secede in the event of the league refusing
them justice, and for some time after the
publication of their conspiracy September
l. They said their abettOrs denied that
there was any foundation for the story,
and repeatedly pledged their word that the
league should have a chance to address the
clubs. 1t is from all this that an edifice
has been built on falsehood; it has no
moral foundation and must perish of its
own weight. The league will aid its clubs
in the enforcement of their contract rights,
and will continue to do business as here
tofore.