The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-24
STILL UNSE'I'TLE
w. l. Harris Opinion on the
Perplexing Baseball Outlook.
MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN SUNK.


They Propose to Fight 1t Out to the
Bitter End, but to Preserve the Ma
tioDal Interest in the Game.
The agitation by baseball writers of the
question of compromise has accomplished
something, inasmuch as it has brought out
the Iact that there is no prospect Of a COM
promise during the present playing season
unless 1t be of q nature not at all likely to
occur. Al SPalding, who seems TO have
been selected by common consent to be the
mouthpiece of the National league, de-
clares that the only compromise that the
league will listen 10 must contain at the
start a proposition of unconditional sur
render. At the same time Mr. Spalding
claims that the league hes no luminosity
toward the majority Of the players and
suggests that most Of them will find this
TO DO true when the surrender, which be
says Is inevitable, makes itself apparent
Mr. Spsldlng suggests that the players
tell the men whom they have persuaded
TO invest money in the Players league to
be content with their present losses and
quit the business, thus giving the players
an opportunity to offer their services to
their old employers.
This sounds well, but Mr. Spalding must
know that even if they desired to do so the
players could not adopt his suggestion,
which Is in effect a cool proposition to
throw over the men who have rightly or
wrongly assisted them in their new depart
ure. They should be grateful enough to
the capitalists to stand by them co the end,
but even If moral obligations should not
hold them to their new employers there is
a more binding obligation that would hold
the most Of them. The men who provided
the money for the Players league banished
moral claims entirely, and signed such
players as they considered Indispensable to
contracts running for three years. The
men Nj Spalding needs to persuade to
quit are the capitalists rather than the
players. The former think they can en-
force their contracts, and even if they can
not do SO they can prevent their players
from playing with any one else, and there
does not seem to be any question but that
they are right.
Mr.. SpaIding's interview and suggestions
show that the National league apparently
still underesCuuates the strength of these
opponents. 1t is to be hoped that he and
his associates may get clearer view Of the
situation before the next season begins:
and this is the wish Of q man friendly and
loyal to the National league. The Players
league has collectively lost a good deal of
money and some of the hackers are pretty
nearly ready TO quit, but the great MAORI
~ of them have no more intention of doing
so without another season in the business
than Mr.. SPalding has OF jumping over
board while on his way across the ocean.
They propose to go ahead, and new men
will be found to take the place Of weaken
srs. The National league may be quite as
well satisfied Of this as any one else, but
they do not give any evidence of it.
The interests Of our great national pas
time are more important than those ofany
player, club OF maSnaUe, and they demand .
chat there shall Tot he war Of extermina- f.
lion as the result of a hand to hand con-
Eest, fguratiyely speaking, between the /
National and Players league There Is no /
doubt that the result will eventually be q |
survival Of the fittest, but let the test be |
made IN way that will not wreck profess |
Eional baseball entirely. The two leagues |!
should not, in their intense desire to kill |
each other off, ruin the public patronage /
5hey are each striving to obtain And that /.
is what they will surely do if the present |
cutthroat policy is pursued. If they must /
fight it out, and the indications are that /
they will have 10 do so, let the fight be /
under some kind of rule so that the public, /
who will eventually decide the matter,
may enjoy the battle rather than be fret /
Jul and apathetic during its progress. An /
agreement between the parties would do /
much toward checking the decreasing in
terest in professional games. That agree
ment need not be a surrender By either
side, but simply an arrangement for test
OK the question as to whether or no, under
favorable circumstances, il be possible for
two such leagues TO proftably exist. / am
satisfied thss they cannot do 50 in the same
but l am equally certain that
nothing but fair trial viii convince the
capitalists and the general public.
There are already indications that both
leagues will try and steal away each 9th
Frs star players next season. This is a
poor policy and is meddling with fire.
Neither side should lend themselves TO
such practice, because il viii surely I'M
icTmins the public confidence now exist
ng IN the integrity Of the national game.
II any player on either side who signed
jonbTact for a year desires at the expira-
ion OF his contract co 20 over to the enc
ny well and good, bu5 successful Efforts to
purchase the allegiance of contracted play
IT'S by either side viii do great harm TO
baseball, and even attempts 10 do so are
lGt apt 10 do much good to the clubs en-
,Ioying such methods. The fewer SHARP
W there are in baseball the better is will
,e for baseball Lct tbs clubs on both
ides keep their hands off contracted men.
Every man corrupted viii pat a spot on
he fNir fame Of the sport that years OF en-
IeaTor ospnot wipe out
Fight II you must. gentlemen, but fight
Is fairly as tbs cirou instances will let you;
Z all your moves keep the good name
4 the game and the belief IN the honesty
# its opponents uasuliied.
WHAT Is SAID.
That Ward. Ewing, CoIniSkey and Kelly
lave their eyes on D0ran, the star pitcher
4 the ASiautic association
That Harrisburg is not such - berry,
> some of the Atlantic association people
xPected.
That Grant, the colored player, will be
lways indisposed when his team reaches
Baltimore.
That the grand stand at Brotherhood
ark, New York, is an imposing and spa
ious structure.
That recently there has been plenty Of
DOM in 10.
That Cartwright, Won der Ahe's big first
aseman, is dead ringer" for Ed Crane.
That the Philadelphia brothers aston
shed the gentlemen who represent the
Windy city.
That everybody wishes this "cruel war"
ras over. W. l. HARRIS
The Olympic Athletic club Of San Fran