The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-18
IT MUST BE- DONE.
Necessity Demands a Cessa-
ton of the Baseball War.
STUMBLING BLOCKS IN THE WAY.
W. I. Harris Thinks That the Players
Are the Ones Who Will Have to Yield.
Failure to Compromise Means Ruin to
Professional Baseball

the baseball war fail the public will be
| pretty sure to locate the responsibility for
! it, and the men responsible will suffer the
most during the season Of 1891.
| Professional baseball has reached an i'm
| portant crisis in its career, and the settle
ment of the differences which have during
the past season acted as brake upon its
| popularity and financial success has be-
come an absolute necessity. The public
| that patronizes the game and supports il
| demands a cessation of hostilities, and will
| be satisfied with nothing else. The time
has come when sentiment should be aban-
doned and common sense rule the base
| ball magnates and players Most of them
] realize this, but some of them are having
a great deal of difficulty in carrying out
what their convictions tells them is ne
! cessity for the perpetuation of professional
baseball as permanent and profitable in
stitution. And some Of these stumbling
blocks are of nature which should be the
last to torment the club owners.
A week ago there seemed TO be but few
obstacles to the consummation of peace,
and they were of nature which might
certainly with one exception have been
eventually arranged. That exception was
the demand of the Players league confer
rees that the National league should aban-
don its name. This matter, which in the
minds of many was considered trivial, and
not likely to stand in the way of peace il
all other matters could be agreed upon, has
become insignificant in face of the opposi
tion which has come from the Brotherhood
of Ball Players and from certain of the
magnates of the Players league, who with
out knowing much about the deal pro-
posed imagine that they are to be frozen
out.
1t is only natural that the Brotherhood
should find much to be dissatisfied with in
the deal as it has been made to appear in
the public press. The indications are that
if the deal is finally consummated the
Brotherhood will cease to be a power ex-
cept as beneficial and partly protective
order. 1t will be no longer in position TO
dictate to the managers. Another thing
which worries the players is the possible
necessity that they may be obliged TO play
with the men who stood by the National
league when the revolt occurred last win
ter. They also find small comfort in the
fact that the profit sharing feature of the
Players league will be abolished. And
finally they were outraged by the fact that
contain one man who directly represented
the players.
On the face of things these complaints
seem just and reasonable but an analysis
of the situation indicates that there are
good business reasons as well as some SEN
timental ones why the players should not
interpose objections to the settlement of
the baseball muddle.
It is fact that the only men connected
with the national game this season who
have made any money have been the play
ers. Every one of them has received his
salary, and the majority have been paid
with the greatest liberality. there being
many instances where they have received
more money than in any previous season.
Nor is this all. A number Of players, some
thing like thirty in all, own stock in differ
ent clubs. Only one of these clubs has
come out anywhere near even. The bal
ance have had deficit in their finances, in
most cases reaching very large amount.
Have the players owning stock born their
proportionate share of these losses3 do
not think that single one will say that he
has been assessed. l was informed yester-
day by gentleman who knows the inside
of the Players league transactions. and
the methods used to keep the organization
intact, as well as any man in the country
that no player has been assessed on his
stock. The entire losses have been footed
by the capitalists who have endeavored TO
make cooperative baseball success and
carry out the schemes of the players. They
have done SO at terrific cost. Their losses
exceed 500 600, and some ofthem say that a
quarter of million more will not cover
their original investment in grand stands, |
fitting up grounds, etc. These gentlemen
may be relied upon TO see that the inter !
ests of the players are protected as far as
reason and justice and the absolute neces-
sites of the baseball business require them |
TO be. They will agree TO no compromise |
or consolidation providing otherwise.
The players who have received their !
salaries and such treatment from Messrs. |
johnson. Talcott, McAlpin, Goodwin, Ad- |
Olson, Wagner and other hackers in the |
support Of their cause in fight which it is |
universally acknowledged will, if con- |
tinued, be apt to end in disaster, IL IL does |
not ruin the game and all connected with |
it, from financial standpoint, should not 1
now enter any opposition TO a settlement |
which will enable their hackers in the |
course of time 70 recoup the losses entailed |
by the great effort they have made in be |
half of those same players.
The players should also cast an eye TO /
the future even if they have no acquaint- |
ance with what men call gratitude. The |
public insists on peace, and If peace is not |
made it will abandon the game more thor
oughly than it did in 1890. There can be |
but one result. The players will have to |
be content to get fair proportion Of what /
Scnes - at the gate or salaries will drop L
and their profession viii cease TO be lucra-
tive. II there are no profits the capitalists |
viii be obliged 10 scale salaries and in /
many cases 90 out of business altogether |
This Is not fancy picture, but is q con-
concensus OF the general belief |
of the baseball managers Of both sides.
TIE New York syndicate which il the /
backbone Of the Players league Is acting |
with great moderation. Many men ia /
their position would simply look out for /
their OWL interests and crush those who i
stood in the way. But these gentlemen 4
are trying TO let all their rncDeyed asso-
ciates down easy, and il Is greatly 10 their /
credit in these days Of small Observance OF 1
complete business integrity when private |
fortunes are threatened Somebody mas got !
to get hurt in settlement Of tie baseball 4
difficulties, and the capitalists WAC have
The least financial interests are the ones
who will suffer mosr, and they viii show
wisdom. by making the bet terms they /
>a1- A Players league man said 70 ne
short time since, IT re public and press
demand compromise. and the men who
oppose il will surely ct the worst Of il. "
lie came veSy near sizing up the situa~
ton y. l. HAREIS