Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-27

there was no way of doing it. Because man
fails to prosecute in one case. that is no reason
| why the law should be imperative in another.
Instances of defying the reserve rule IN the
past have been exceptions. but at present it
threatens to be Wholesale. The plain, English
of the reserve clause of the contract is that the
! club signing the player has first claim on the
services of the player for the season next
| ensuing the one in which he signs. This claim
takes precedence Of the claim of anybody else
and there is no line drawn OF special reference
to any particular organization. The player
signs with the particular club and not with the
League. If an iron firm a member of an en-
pIoyers assoca5lon, were to contract with a
the next ensuing would there be any reason to
suppose that that contract only referred to iron
firms in that association? 1t seems safe to say
tnat court would construe the cont act to
mean something quite different and that the
contract secured the workmans services for
the hrm against all other iron firms in the
country. Ii this principle would hold good
IN the case of one man it would hold
good in the case of all workmen. 1t seems to
me, therefore, that the ball players who signed
the contract in question are similar to the
workman in the supposed case. However it is
not likely that matters will 60 SO tar a court
of Justice. Should a conflict between the Ma
tional League and the PLAYERS be carried to
court an injury will be done the national game
which years may not repair. Certainly base
ball is extraordinarily popular among American
people at present but public or popular feeling
Carlyle called it, is extremely tickle and uncer-
tain. We may make kings to-day and butcher
them tomorrow. 1t is, therefore, possible for
those most interested in the national game to
act in way that will poison the public mind
against it.
VIII il Pays
But let us see what players have to gain by
deserting The League and joining any new
organization. I referred to this matter two or
three weeks ago, but since then Mr.. Ward has
told us that if the Brotherhood ions new
organization it will be for other capitalists and
Mr.. Ward argues that these other capitalists
are just as good business men and just as we'll
able to manage a baseball organization as those
atpresent at the head of the National League
Well. 1t is something to know from an au-
thority like Mr.. Ward, that even if the players
join new organization they will simply be
transferring their services from one set of
capitalists to another. Now 1 assume and
think human nature says I'm correct, that these
capitalists, or to be definite these "other CAPT.
tallsts," will not throw in their tens of thou
sands of dollars merely for the fun of it and be-
cause of an extraordinary philanthropic love
Tor the ball players. | don't anticipate any
such noble and self-sacriicing motives will
actuate these 'other capitalists" If they go
into the alleged or proposed scheme depend
upon 1t that it will be for the money there is In
Il we may safely come to this conclusion: If
this be the case, then will anybody tell me how
these other capitalists can make more money
in baseball than are the magnates of the
League? If more money cannot be made. how
IN the name OF common sense are the players
going to get an increase of wages or salary?
There is an old Scotch adage which is very ap-
propriate here. 1t is: I'VE better keep to the
dell we ken than gang to the dell we dinna
ken" But 1 argue that the chances of the
players improving their condition by a whole
sale bolt to new organization are exceedingly
organization was started, and that it put clubs
into Plttsburg, Chicago, Washington, Cleve-
land, Indianapolis and other places. We
never for moment think that the Ma
at these places also. Most certainly the
National League would be there and the two |
clubs in each city would become great tinan- |
cial failures. Under these circumstances who |
would have the best of it? Why, the older or |
ganization of course. There would be such |
demand for money from the ''other capitalists |
during the Season that they would be likely to |
soon see the wisdom of contining themselves to |
the business that had earned them the money |
to waste on baseball. But when we reduce |
this matter to a question OF every day life we |
will at once ask ourselves the question: Are |
the ball players a dowD-trodden and oppressed |
lot of poor individuals? If the question could |
be answered fairly in the affirmative the pub |
lie would, indeed, not be slow to aid them |
toward improving their condition. But if we ex- |
anime the condition of things I think we'll find |
that ball players as rule are among the best |
paid class Of performers or workers that we |
have. Dozens of them have from /
II.
of their board paid. Many more have from |
S., QUO to 81, 600 for the same period. Now how |
many men are there in this country who have |
gone through course of education ranging |
were q years old and who have nothing like |
So, 600 for an entire year? / don't ask these |
questions or make any of these statements to |
in any way disparage the efforts of ball players |
to obtain higher salaries; like to see them get
all they can; but what / mean to say is that |
players are not the victims Of oppression and |
poverty that many people would have us be- |
lieve. True, they are engaged under conditions |
which, In some respects cannot be defended, |
but these can, and think will be remedied. 1t |
has, however, been proven that no club can |
keep player on the reserve list for lifetime, /
as has been generally believed. Good lawyers |
tell ms that all that can be done under the |
League contract is to keep a player reserved |
for the season next ensuing that in which he |
signs. This definition, then, removes a very |
strong objection.
Won Der Ahe's Scheme.
1 dare say few people who have been interest
ed in baseball during the last few years will be
surprised to learn of the alleged intentions of
Won der Abe and President Spalding. The
world has been told that these two shining
lights of the baseball world have resolved to
the American Association and the
National League, and make one big organiza-
tion out of it. Some of the clubs in both the
present organizations are to be discarded and
a new league of 10 or IL clubs formed. The
great object of this consolidating of forces is to
fight the Brotherhood. need not remind DIS
PATCH readers of the fact that the scheme is a
very old one. The idea has been preached, and
ably at that by many writers for many seasons
Ii need, therefore, be no surprise to the
patrons of the national game to see the
scheme make Its annual appearance Probably
q more favorable time for its discussion could
not be than the present There is much COM
mon sense in a scheme or plan such as it is, and
many very sensible baseball writers and
authorities are of opinion that consolidation
will come sooner nr later. do not intend to |
discuss the merits or dement's of this plan of |
at present, because am strongly
inclined to the opinion that it will not be
adopted for some time to come if ever it is
adopted. Doubtless the descriptions in the As
sociation and the apparent difficulties sur
the League would cause many CLUBS
to indorse the notion at present were it to be
put to a vote. but it would seem unreasonable
to expect that any such scheme would be
adopted until the League players had made an
open revolt. 1t seems to me that step of this
kind will be averted, and that after all the
smoke of buckshot firing is cleared away.
we'll find ourselves next year with the
League and Association plodding .ou as
usual Whatever conclusion Messrs. Spaldlng
and Won der Abe may have come to, the fact
remains that the general: Injecting of everybody
directly interested will have to finally pro-
nounce on the to-be or not-to-be of the consoli-
12tIon. However it would seem that if such
move were to take place the Brotherhood
players, if they formed a new organization. 1