, 1890-08-19

; her Side WIN Compromise Now,
hey Propose to Fight 1t Out to this
tier End, but to Preserve the Nm.
Eonal Interest In the Game.
The agitation by baseball writers OF tn,
~ estion OF compromise has accomplished
something, inasmuch as it has brought out
Tie fact that there Is no prospect of a com.
promise during the present playing season
unless it be of a nature not at all likely TO
,ccur. Al S~palding. who seems to have
sen selected by common consent to be the
, outhpieoe OF the National league, de
= sres that the only compromise that the
que will listen to must contain at the
= art a proposition Of unconditional SUI
Hcaaer. At the same time Mr.. SpAlding
claims that the league has no animosity
toward the majority Of the players and
suggests that most of them will find this
~ lie true when the surrender, which he
= - is inevitable, makes itself apparent.
Mr.. SpAlding suggests that the players
Sell the men whom they have persuaded
- invest money in the Players league to
ne content with their present losses and
,lait the business, thu giving the players
en- opportunity to offer their services to
rheir oil employers.
This sounds well, but Mr.. Spalding must
know that even II 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 Insisted them In their new depart
ere. They should be grateful enough to
-he capitalists to stand by them to the end,
Jut even II moral obligations should not
mold 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 Mr.. Spalding needs to persuade to
YUlt are the capitalists rather than the
players. Tn former think they can en-
force their contracts, and even II 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 arc right.
Mr.. Spalding's interview and suggestions
show that the National league apparently
still underestimate the strength OF these
opponents. 1t is to be hoped that he and
1is associates may get a clearer view OF the
.ituation before the nex season begins;
aud this Is the wish of a 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
yearly ready TO quit, but the great MAORI
" of them have no more intention of doing
80 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
era. The National league may be quite Ms
well satisfied of this AS any one else, but
they do not give any evidence of it.
The Interests OF our great national pas
rfu,r ~ mora i'm nOrfaut fhap fhnaa 81 anN
player, club or magnate, and they demand
1hrt there shall not be a war Of extermina-
uod MS the result of n hand to hand con-
test, fguratively speaking. between the
National and Players league. There Is no
doubt that the result will eventually be a
survival OF the fttest, but let the test be
mnde in a way that will not wreck profess
sional baseball entirely. Thu two leagues
should not, in their Intense desire to kill
each other off, ruin the public patronage
T.ey are each striving &C obtain. And that
is whit they will surely do II the present
cutthront policy is pursued. II they must
fight IL out, and the indications are that
they will have to do so, let the fight be
under some kind of rule 50 that the public,
who will eventually decide the matter,
may enjoy the battle rather than be fret
I'll and apathetic during its progress. An
agreement between the parties would do
much toward checking the decreasing in
tercst in professional games. That agree
Iuent need not be n surrender by either
eide, but simply an arrangement for a test
of the question ms to whether or no, under
favorable circumstances, It be possible for
-wo such leagues TO proftably exist. ! am
satisfied that they cannot do so In the same
territory, but l am equally certain that
> othing but a fair trial will convince the
capitalists and the general public,
There are already indications that both
.,tgues will try n steal away each 9TH
- star players next season. This is n
or policy and ia meddling with fire.
either side should lend themselves to
EIch a practice, because It will surely I'M
.1rmine the public confidence now exist
:lg in the integrity of the national game.
] any player on either side who signed n
contract for n year desires at the expira-
: IN of his contract to go over to the enc.
Say well and good, but successful efforts to
purchase the allegiance of contracted play
ers by either side will do great harm to
-asebsil, and even attempts to do so are
OF apt to do much good to the clubs en-
! Dying such methods. The fewer sharp
9 there are in baseball the better It will
, for baseball. Let the clubs on both
, des keep their hands off contracted men.
sery man corrupted will put a spot on
me fair fame Of the sport that years OF en-
4 svor cannot wipe out.
Fight IL you must, gentlemen. but fight
- fairly MS the circumstances will let you;
q all your moves keep the good name
- the game and the belief In the honesty
- RS exponents unsullied.
WHAT Is SAID.
That Ward. Ewing, Comiskey and Kelly
have their eyes on Doran, the star pitcher
of the Atlantic association.
That Harrisburg is not such "a berry"
as some OF the Atlantic association people
expected.
That Grant, the colored player, will be
always indisposed when his team reaches
l~sltin.ore.
That the grand stand at Brotherhood
park, New York, is an imposing and spa
eiJus structure.
That recently there has been plenty Of
>1sm in It.
That Cartwright, Won der Ahe's big first
1aseman. Is a dead ringer for Ed Crane.
That the Philadelphia brothers aston
ilhed the gentlemen who represent the
Windy city.
That everybody wishes this "cruel war"
.scs oysr. W. ]. HARRIS.
The Olympic Athletic club of San Fran
cisco has found a promising Splinter in w.