Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-11
OF BASEBALL LAW
w. ]. Harris Elucidates an I'm
portant Matter.
GIsT OF THE DIAMOND WAR.


AbOue Whtch 80 Much Has Been Said
of 1atc--lsasebail Law L. mt Variance
with Common Law and Il Very Arbitrary.
Rem Mulford. Jr., Of The Cincinnati
Timcs-Star, who is one OF the brightest writ
ers on baseball topics In America, and one Of
the best also because he tells a story in a
plain, everyday manner, easily understood
and right to the point every tne- has aptly
sized up the baseball war in this sentence
ut is n campaign for the preservation Of
baseball law on ono side and its destruction
on the other"
II Is frequently asked what Is the differ
ence between baseball law and common law.
The answer Is that baseball law Is a law unto
itself. II Is collection Of arbitrary Gus
toms, adopted by the baseball men, that are
not in accord with common law.
These arbitrary customs are at variance
with common law, and there Is no doubt
whatever that the courts would decide, IL
appealed to, that the customs referred to are
not legal; but the courts have never been in
voked, ON the principle that you can bring n
horse to water, but you cannot make him
drink. The courts might declare that 1t was
illegal to suspend player or say that he
should not be hired by any one else, but th.
courts possess no power to compel person
do SO willingly, and hence the magnates have
been able TO enforce baseball regulations
and have built up set of regulations. with
precedents to govern them, which have be
come known rs baseball law
The National league and American associa.
tion, together with the minor association,
combined under the national agreement,
have for years been an organized trust which
controlled all baseball interests. md when
one considers the enormous mower they hay,
welded one is amazed that thew have moi
used IL more arbitrarily and ,espoticollv tba,
they have
The basis of all baseball law is the national
agreement and the customs which have oh
tanned in interpreting its provisions. Thi,
famous document is an agreement by and he
tween associations binding themselves In cor,
tain forfeitures and penalties TO keen the
compact inyiolate. The parties to IL are IN,
National league nnd the American associa
ton. There are some sunnlementnl articles
known as articles of qualified admission 10
the national agreement. under which minor
baseball organizations are admitted to the
protection of the national agreement
The celebrated agreement which has becp
the corner stone of the success of baseball
contains ten articles. The first one provides
for its name. The second EXPLAINS the con.
tracts between clubs and PLAYERS. and pro-
yites that such contracts shall not be mode
prior to Oct. 20 of each wear and nrescribes
for the suspension of the PLAYER and $500 fine
to the club for n violation. Article 2 pro.
yides for the treatment of suspended players
by other club, and prohibits them from plny.
ing with or against teams of which a dis.
qualified PLAYER is a member.
Article 4 is the reserve rule. 1t grants
each club the power to select the names of
fourteen players under contract with them Oh
tie 10th day of October in each year and pro-
ttcts them i'm the continued service of such
PLAYERS by making tho PLAYERS ineligible tc
contract with any other club a party to the
agreement except as may be provided In it,
terms, and clubs are also permitted TO add To
their list of reserved men the names of any
PLAYERS who may have been reserved by
them In prior years who have refused 10 con.
tract with the club reserving them, thus In.
stituting n perpetual bar from baseball for
those players who declined to remain with
the clubs which had reserved them without
obtaining proper release.
Article 5 governs the releases of PLAYERS.
When man is released his services are sub.
ject to the acceptance Of the other clubs OF
his association for period of ten DAYS After
that the player is free 20 go where he plcases
Article gives the clubs territorial rights In
the cities where they are located, and pro
hibits any other club from being located
there without permission, and the article also
provides for the resignation Of clubs during
the month OF November. Article provides
for the expulsion of clubs from tho benefits
Of the agreement for playing games against
any club presenting on its nine an inoligibl,
player. Article s gives each association
power to make rules for the central discipline
and compen sation of its PLAYERS. Articles .
and 10 proyiie for n board Of orhitrotors
CONSISTING of three eoch from ,ho t,vn ,,,a g.,
oraa,;..s;o,,. a.. -, III st, a.. ,.'
saa.'ons, s, W "no''' sum ian .ne auty %
interpreting 'he ngreefhehe ana uecidihg al
disputes arising under IT,
The qualified articles are thirteen in mum
ber and provide for the protection of minor
leagues. and prescribe the amount IN bo paif
for sucb nrotac,;on ,,bicI Il IN ooo o., -.
oInhs q, too TO- sir o,,,hs 81 ~ ono ~ -.
~, ~ % ,''o' anu S-'ooo ,oi c's"'
CLUBS. iheSe aiticies are very complete ant
cover about every point that could possibly
arise between the parties thereto.
This, in brief, is the national agreement
II Is the law md the hoard of Arbitration 1,
tho count ~ lost rosort NJ, 80 a.. .'..'.
80. - IL .sa '. .'e plo'h
~ "' '"o u'oSo' "h'ei h"'o grown w
uhder u are obnoxious To iair minded people
on first acquaintance and objectionable al
ways, but experience has shown that thes4
regulations arc absolutely necessary BaI
players need to be governed ,.i,I n s,rono
hand The stabilize ~ hasoboI dan,.,I' ~
.I,Ls.t.u ,Ny,s - I,, . s"'''' VS. 'n''
ciuos shnii keep wen aiohg with the process
sioh, out they cannot 40 SO II their players
can des ert them at any moment