Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-12-08

he tho Outcome?
The lines are being closely drawn between
the League and the Brotherhood, and the
players mast now decide where they will
stand when the roll Is called nuxt April.
Many Of them, 30 far AS they can do so, by
signing contracts, have decided the question,
but the majority of them, In spite of their
promises 10 the Brotherhood, are still astride
the fence, uncertain which way 10 jump.
1t is difficult within the limits of this art
icle TO explain the exact positions held by
both parties 10 the impending contest. Brief.
ly, the Brotherhood has made preparation 10
organize the Players League, and expect TO
do so Jan. z. The delay was due 10 the reluc-
lance Of the men who are to supply the prin.
cipal portion of the sinews Of war TO commit
themselves irrevocably until the Brotherhood
can show evidence that il can deliver the
goods, /. e., the players, as agreed This eyi.
dencc is tie signatures OF the 10 players he
ceSsary 10 complete the various teams Of the
new Play ers' league. This evidence MessrS
Ward, P%feiiirr, Ewing, Hanion and IRWIN
are doing their best 10 collect. They have
signed, or claim Il, have signed, something
like fifteen American Association players and
seventy League men, .hsamattrro Of fact, the
actual signatures obtained do not much ex-
coed fifty altogether This wEs the result Of
! thrsc weeks work.
During the past Ina Bays there has been q
Cessation ia the signing, whieA is due to two
CAUSES. Uuei, the iursi mgIH hv the League.
aud the sscuuG Is rug iiaht bptug thrown On
the Player l,l-r' contrast, which La> uren
made pu.bic 1 le the r.fJrts Of the Bro.
tAeI hood to keep It's terms secret A. the
I play rrs begin Ia realize just where that con.
tract places thon, they begin 10 wguhcn PER,
crptihly. The points 10 the contract wAich
are now Oyeratiu- against tie Brotherhood
I are tie clause which relieve tie stockholders
Of any nars nal liability. and provilc that
all salaries snail he paid from the gate re.
rgipts, and from DO other source.
There Is absolutely no guarantee whatever
that the salurius promised viii he paid, OK.
cept in the event Of the financial success Of
the new League The Iluycrs are much dis.
appointed in oihor ways also. They were
promised one year contracts aud a pooling
II profits where the players Of unsuccessful
teams might stand M equal show with the
players If successful teams. They expected
to share Whatever profits might accrue over
a certain sum, and they supposed that the
hackers would see that they would nave their
salaries, win or lose. Now they are presented
with a contract that makes them profit
sharers, IL is true, but also makes them a loss
sharers rs we'll The players are perfectly
satisfied 10 share profits, but they are not 50
anxious 90 run the risk of sharing losses.
This contract also binds them for three
years more absolutely than the National
league ever held them.
The League has met the question with its
accustomed energy aud courage, and has act.
ed fairly, even though they have in a meas
ure been forced TO do Sd. They have abol-
ished classification; they have modified the
sales system s, that the player Is enabled 10
buy and sell ais own release aud profit there
by, both IN increased salary and bonus: they
have rclr-s-l the grievance Of SutclIre, al
though they have clearly proved that he has
no legal claim to the $50 paid him. The
only thing they have not done, which. the
players would have liked 10 have done, al
though not very strenuous about IL, Is to
abolish or moderate the reserve rule.
These are the things ami the only things
which bore very hard Ca the players. al
yised them last spring To ASK Tor tAess re-
forms, aud said then that tho players would
he justified in starting Oh their hook
with u chance Of success If the reforms were
not granted am satisfied that tho League
, would have granted tbgm If 1t had had On
opportunity Of doing ~.
The players claimed l2at the League neg
lectel Al opportunity presented them last
summer The League returts By saying that
it was not the proper time, The Brotherhood
leaders, who have all along wanted to get up
IA profit sharing league, seized ON the Leagues
postponemeut u the complaints as an excuse
for putting their plans into action.
The League claims the services Of their men
for 1880 under section 10 OF the original
brotherhood contract, which gives the League
the right to reserve the player for the season
next ensuing. This point the League, acting
under the opinions Of Eyarts, Chonte e. Bea-
man, and other eminent lawyers, will press
in the courts 20 the bitter end.
The players claim that the reserve only APP
piled as against clubs under the National
agreement, aud are fortified in the claim by
the opinions of eminent counsel. The fate Of
the Players league rests on the decision Of
this point. II the courts say the League is
right, there will be no Players league, at
least not with National league players, until
1891. Meanwhile the League has succeeded
in signing about twenty-five Of the Brother
hood men, although they claim over forty.
Thus tue matter stands at present.
The players have these W prospects, II
they stick by Nhe League they urc guaranteed
their salaries, they will have lhe chance OF
an increase; they will not share in profits;
they viii not share ia losses. II they are
transferred from one club 10 another, they
will generally got an increase in pay and a
bonus.
II they go With the Brotherhood they sign
for three years with hardly a hope for an in
crease; they are not guaranteed their sala-
ries; they will share profits beyond a fixed
sum, II there are any; they will also share
the losses should there be any.
II there wore no competition In the cities
where the Players league expects 10 operate,
the solution OF the problem would be easy.
Such, however, Is not the case. The Players
league will have the Naf!oEal league to fight
In every city save one, and will not have 20
fight teams Of novlces, Us tho Brotherhood
leaders confidently expected. They will meet
teams containing a large proportion Of sea-
soned timber, and it will be a losing battle for
both sides.
The longest purse md the stiGost backbone
will win.
Nj Modification Of John Wards orlgi-
nal plan the Players league might have sue
ceedod; witht1g present. financial scheme IL
will he "A failure The first plan would have
prevented dlssatisinction among the players
OF uon-djydonI paying clubs. The second
plan, tho one ndpptel, will, on the other
hand, foncul digUt faction. and will surely