Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-24
AREWEW OF SPORTS.
Leading Baseball Features Of
the Week.
THE APPEALS DISCUSSED.
A Few Plain Words About the New
League DeSerterS.
PROSPECTS OF THE YOUNG CLUB.
Opinions as to the Merits Of Sullivan and
Jackson.
PROSPECTS OF THE YOUNG CLUB.
LOCAL FOOTBALL AND FOOTRACING

LOCAL FOOTBALL AND FOOTRACING
Anybody who has kept clear Of partisan
ship and has stood aside to watch the base
ball controversy of the week must not only
have been considerably interested, but also
highly amused. The players and magnates
- now at it tooth and nail 1t is ap-
parently question Of "dO or die" on both
sides. and what the result will be nobody, 1
think. will presume to tell. However, to
all appearances the PLAYERS are in the
fight to stay much longer than the magnates
would have US believe. The week has de-
veloped the fact that the great essential of
sticking together is the one that concerns
the destinies of the proposed league most
In some details of organization 1 have from
the fi--s contended that their new league, or
proposed league, is defective, just as
assailed the classification rule of
the old League when that rule
was adopted. That rule is now abolished. and
let me remark that as far as ] know every base
ball writer in the country except myself de-
Tended that rule when it was adopted. twas
founded on unsound principles, just as believe
some parts of the new organization in question
is But what want to say Is that the greatest
danger of collapse is among the players them
selves. Too many defections or deserters viii
wreck the entire business, no matter what may
be the principles on which the organization is
founded. A deserter is invariably traitor,
and a traitor is a dangerous man in society. l
hold that man who deliberately signs def-
mite and ineligible contract to support cause,
inst aed dalfhara tel rOund and
signs another contract to try and ruin that
cause, is in principle not much unlike men of
the Pigott stamp. Mark / don't mean that
a man has no right to leave an oTganl-
zation of which he is an oath-bOund member.
He must have that right OF else the organiza-
ton is in itself wicked affair. The Players
Brotherhood gives man that right; therefore,
say that any member can honorably hand IN
his resignation and declare himself no longer
in harmony with the objects of the organiza-
ton. This right is formed on reason and
Justice. However, it is quite different mat
ter when player not only joins the Brother
hood but also signs a contract to play ball for
a club connected with the Brotherhood and
then signs another agreement to play in oppo-
sition to the Brotherhood. Human nature
cannot well be more unfaithfuL more unre-
liable and more deceptive than that, Certain
players have done it, and to say the least, it
ought to be las ting disgrace to them. firmly
believe that the leaders Of the Brotherhood are
actuated by honesty of purpose; that they are
convinced that they are engaged a noble
work. Whatever may be The defects OF their
methods, therefore, to act treacherously
toward them is wicked
Some IncousisTencies.
In heated controversy and warfare many in
consistent things are done and said. The pres
ent baseball conflict is no exception. A few
days ago Mr A. @. Spalding told me with much
gravity that the League is firmly convinced
that all of its old players are already legally
signed to play with the League clubs next year.
There might be some force in this conviction if
the actions of the League magnates did not
bolie it. Why they are signing young players
by the gross, and in the name of common sense
! ask IL all the old players are really safely
signed, why are the legions of youngsters being
secured? The statement of Mr. Spalding and
the actions of the League won't under any con-
sideratiOn, harmonlzs; they won't mix. But
the position of Mr.. Spalding is no more illogi-
cal than that of Timothy Keefe. The latter.
and also Nj. Al johnson, state that
all violators of the Brotherhood contracts
will be enjoined. This threat is anus
ing when coming from persons who
laugh to scorn the threats of Injunction by the
League 1t really seems to me that there is
considerable blufing all round. And we may
expect this kind of thing as long as the public
is willing TO listen TO it. The time for public
patronage is a long way off yet, and it would
seem the better business plan to work quietly
building up the fences. When springtime
comes then display the work done and use
loquacious methods or any other methods, to
gam public favor.
The Leagues Address.
Certainly the most important feature Of the
week in sporting affairs has been the address
by the National Baseball League to the public.
In many respects it has come as happy relief
amid an extraordinary food of nonsensical
talk by parUizans of both League and Brother
hood alike. 1t is certain that everybody inter
ested in baseball who can read will read that
address, for it is well worth the reading, eX
parte though it may be. We now have had pre-
sented to us the appeals" addresses" state
ments, or whatever they may be, of both the
League and Brotherhood. They are conse-
quently public property, and we can without
any discourtesy pronounce upon them. have
read both of them very carefully, doubtless
thousands of other people have done the same,
and venture to say nobody will for a moment
reasonably contend that the Leagues address
is not vastly superior as an address, to that of
the players. In the former there is argument.
though some is unsouDd. but in the case of the
players there was little else than invective and
badgering. While the great object of the
players address was to catch the public ear
BY sentimental expressions the Ieaguel
magnates have made out a very strong case of
argument by citing the most important facts of,
baseball history; facts that have played part
ana bIlu pldglnR pdIb Al bu6 uGNelOpUl6uL
of the great game in question. feel confident
that if any intelligent man will lay the ad-
dresses side by side and examine them he will
come to a conclusion similar to that which
have Just noted. However, it does not seem to
me that the addresses contain the entire cases
Of the respective parties In the main principle
of their case the players have stronger plea
than their appeal states. and in many respects
the address of the League takes too much for
granted; 1t also fails to notice principle on
which the players have acted, which, if intro
duced to the daily business of life, would sim
ply be ruinous.
The Appeals Discussed.
don't think that any man, except he be Of
the most unreasonable kind and exceedingly
unfair, will for moment contend that work
man or player has not right to serve whom he
chooses. This is a principle of liberty that has
been won for the masses at a tremendous cost
of blood and treasure. l don't think that this
feature has been dealt sufficiently with by the
PLAYERS; it certainly has not been made as clear
as it should have been to the public. admit
the principle in all its force, and argue that
it alone would, under certain circumstances
give the players a case that could not be as
sailed. But there is a right way and wrong
way of exercising a right. We can exercise a
right in a way tnat may be exceedingly in
furious to others, and in way that If generally
practlcsd would simply bring wreck and ruin
al round I claim that the players have done
this in leaving the League in the very abrupt
manner in which they have done. Let us see
how their conduct would work If repeated in
other branches of business. Take big mer-
camille concern in which large number of en-
ployes are engaged from year To year with the
plain understanding that they couldn't leave
without the consent of their employers until
the most sudden and abrupt way these en-
ployes leave their employ. They give no no