Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-16
Who Were the Wreckers?

In this paragraph l am going to show that
the very persons who are now insulting
honorable gentlemen for trying to redeem
the national game from ruin are almost the
only ones directly responsible for the wreck
of the Players League. II am wrong in
INV conclusions certainly want to know IT.
Now let us go back to the beginning; that
is, to the time when the country was flooded
with frothy rodomontades and clap-trap
illusions regarding the wealth that was TO
be amassed bv the Players League. Repre-
sentatives of the latter set themselves to
work in every city to drag unsuspecting
business men into a scheme that was stated
to be one of the easiest and surest highroads
to immense wealth that the world has ever
known. In Pittsburg business men were
told that there could not possibly be any
deviation from the high road to wealth.
Why, 50, or even 100 per cent on the desired
investment was mere trif1e. And the
allurements were artfully held out; the bait
was enticing 1t was difficult to convince
the ordinary business man who knew little
or nothing about baseball that ball players
were not going TO have an absolute mo-
nopoly during 1890 and for succeeding gen.
erations. As Il result, many business men
were caught, and they tully believed that
they had at last realized an out-and-out
~
was to be had Tor holding ones hand out
But the season started and went on and on
and on until the end was reached. 1t was
reached and obi great Scottl what a selll
Why, these poor duped business men found
that instead OF being the recipients of un-
told wealth they had been compelled to sus-
tain an incessant outgoing stream OF
money that, like the proverbial ship never
returned. They had been fooled, miserably
fooled, by the promoters and advocates of a
scheme that turned out to be rank failure.
They naturally said to these scheme pro-
moters: "Why, you people have lied to us.
You promised us good returns for the
money that we would put up for you. We
not only haven't received any returns, but
our outlay has been tremendously larger
than you said was necessary; there
fore we have been doublv fooled.
To prevent our being looked upon
as living and consummate proofs of the Dar-
winian theory we must change our course.
Our being led astray this year is your fault,
but to continue in that direction will be
ours" l submit that this is a tair and logi-
cal statement OF the case as it stands. l
further contend that the entire fabrication of
the new league was built by misrepresenta-
ton. Whether that Misrepresentation was
willful or not 1 do not at present say, but L
do claim that not 80 per cent of even the
players had anything like a correct idea of
its structure, its objects or its laws. / am
aware that l argued TINS matter about year
ago, but l respect the statement because,
since the smoldering volcano has exploded,
player after player has told me that what
the Players League was In reality was quite
different to what it was on paper representa-
tion. 1t is necessary to go into these matters
somewhat exhaustively because of the efforts
LII. 4 80 S,,s,, tha tafi of
large number of honorable business men in
the eyes of the public
More Elements OF Failure.
But the Players League was not only
misrepresented to the capitalists who have
foolishly thrown thousands of dollars over,
but it was misrepresented to the public.
Readers of this paper can all remember how
1 assailed that alluring statement made by
P. J.. advocates to the effect that it was in
all respects a cooperative organization and
a trades union. Those who ever Ior a mo-
ment thought that an inanitv of that kind
would have any good and lasting effect on
the public nind were very, very foolish.
The schoolmaster has been abroad TOO long
for nonsense of that kind to have any ap-
preciable effect. That untrue claim helped
| in the work of ruin. Again we were told
| that there would be sort of profit-sharing
plan in which the poor down-trodden player
would participate. Has Boston shared any,
thing? The moguls of that club claim to
| have cleared So. 900. Has that 'divy" con-
sequent on that divine principle of
brotherhood and brotherly love reached
| Pittsburg? Has it reached any of that
family of eight, which we were told last
| spring were banded together to share alike
in gains and lossese Certainly it has not;
and the man who expected otherwise would
/ be one of the most consummate of fools.
| True the Players League was organized on
| the most beautiful OF principles, but the
| great fault of its original princi piles was
! that they were either not for this world or
| they were a few centuries too soon. Its theo-
ries were captivating; but so were some OF
| Sir Thomas More's, and so are some of Bel
lamy's. Unfortunately these theories and
| the facts of daily life won't work together, no
matter how correct the theory may be on
paper. Well, the facts of life at once
knocked the p. L. theories into the shape of
a three-cocked hat, and before we knew
where we were the P. L. was ploddIng away
| and aiming at the same common sense safe
| guards that had aided in the success of the
National League But those misguided
men who undertook the formation OF
the p. L. undertook the accomplishment
| OF q task that was most extraordinary
They really undertook to build in night
and with comparatively little experience, a
structure superior to that which has in Its
erection required years of labor and enor.
nous wealth aided by the best brains that the
| game of baseball has known. 1 mean the
National League. Now let us calmly ask
ourselves the question: Could the accom-
| plishment of such task be expecteR The
| PLAYERS League has lived season entirely
because OF the pluck and generosity of the
| gentlemen who are now being slandered.
They have heroically furnished the fuel to
keep it going and its life has been an artl.
ficial one. All THAT remains to be done now
is for the players to look alter their own oc.
cupation and the public to show its graft.
| tude to those who have tried to and who
hope to fully succeed in re-establishing the
national game on basis substantially like
that on which it was called the GLORIOUS
game"
The Law and Pugilists.
Once more the strong arm of the law ha!
shown its power in holding back two mer
from entering ring to fight, and once more
no donbt, the whole affair will end in {
burIesgue as far as the law or its enforce
ment is concerned. Godfrey and Smitl
were due TO do battle before the Puritan
Club last Tuesday and the law stepped il
and vetoed the proceedings. Still the mel
continue in training and the club con
tinues to assure ticket holders and intend
| ing ticket holders that the contest will