Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-05
PLAYERS NATIONAL LEAGUE.
The Base Ball Brotherhood Organizes
Proclamation rraigning the Old League

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The base ball players composing the Ma
tional brotherhood, after weeks and weeks of
futile denials. met yesterday afternoon in New
York and solemnly announced that they had
decided to play a lone hand in 1890. This fact
is made known in a rather long screed, which
was given out for publication. 1t was prepared
by Andrews, O'Rourke, Hanlon and Ward and
states that 'at last the brotherhood of base
ball players feels at liberty to make known its
intentions and defend itself against the asper-
sions of misrepresentation which for weeks it
has been forced to suffer in silence. 1t is no
longer secret that the players of the league
have determined to play next season under
different management; but for reasons which
will, We think, be understood, it deemed
advisable to make no announcement Of this in
tention until the close of the present season;
but now that the struggles for the various PEN
nants are over, and the terms of our contracts
expired, there is no longer reason for holding
it."
Then the proclamation recites the reasons
tending to this action. 1t says There was
time when the league stood for integrity and
fair dealing. Today it stands for dollars and
cents. Once it looked to the elevation of the
game and an honest exhibition of the sport.
Today its eyes are upon the turnstle. They
have come into the business with no other
motive than to exploit it for every dollar in
sight.
Measures originally intended for the good of
the game have been perverted into instruments
for wrong. The reserve rule and the provisions
OF the national agreement gave the managers
unlimited power, and they have not hesitated to
use this in the most arbitrary and mercenary
way. Players have been bought and sold and
exchanged as if they were sheep-instead of
American citizens. Reservation became with
them another name for property right in the
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stronger than the strongest trust they were able
to enforce the most arbitrary measure and the
player had either to submit or get out of the
profession in which he had spent years in at
tanning proficiency.
Even the disarmament and retirement Of a
club did not free the players from the octopus
clutch, for they were then peddled around to
the highest bidder. That the player some
times profted by the sale has nothing to do
with the case, but only proves the injustice of
his previous restraint.
1.-Two years ago we met the league and at
tempted to remedy some of these evils, but
through what has been politely called league
diplomacy we completely failed. Unwilling
longer to submit to such treatment we made
a strong effort last spring to reach an under
standing with the league. To our application
for a hearing they replied that the matter was
not of sufficient importance to warrant meet
ing and suggested that it be put off until fall
Our committee replied that the players felt
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that while the results might be of little import
ance to the managers they were of great i'm
portance to the players; thatif the league would
not concede what was fair would adopt
other means to protect ourselves that if post
poned until fall we would be separated and at
the mercy of the league; and that, as the only
course left us required time and labor to de-
velop, we must therefore insist upon an imme-
date conference. Then, upon their final re-
fusal to meet US, We began organizing for our
selves, and now are in shape to go ahead next
year under new management and new auspices
We believe that it is possible to conduct our
national game upon lines that will not infringe
upon individuals and natural rights.
I'VE ask to be judged solely by our work, and
believing that the game can be played more
fairly and its business conducted more intelli-
gently under plan which excludes everything
arbitrary and un-American, we look forward
with confidence to the support of the public
and the future of the national game"
The new organization will be known as the
Players national league, and the first annual
meeting will be held on Wednesday, when the
details of the players to various cities will
occur.