Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-11-16
INTERNAL STRIFE.
w. I. Harris Says There Is Lots
of 1t in the Players League.
A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.

pins suggestion.
The key to the situation in the baseball
middle is certainly held by the capitalists
of the New York. Brooklyn and Cleveland
Players league clubs. These capitalists
also own very nearly a controlling interest
in the Cincinnati club, and it is claimed
could succeed in bringing that organiza-
ton into line with any plan which they
might agree upon. Whether they really
can do this remains TO be seen. The Play
ers' league capitalists in Boston, Philadel-
phia, Pittsburg and Chicago appear to be
determinol II continue the warfare OF 1880
another s,~s0n, and !. they can hold the
J Players league together and control it the
fight will 90 o., Perhaps not so directly as
conflicting dates would make it, but there
will be no peace OF a nature likely to bene-
fit the natioaal game itself,
No matter how il may appear on the
surface. there Is II wide breach between the
capitalists Of the Players league. Four
clubs are apparently unalterably opposed
to consoliia'i'H aud in favor of perpetu.
ating the Players league. Three clubs
have been GuiI. all in their power to bring
about n l]astir, peace which may insure
harmony among all factions and insure
the future prosperity of the amt. The
Buffalo club has Eo capitalists beEiad il,
so far Us is Known, and il cuts a small fig-
ure in the matter. The action Of the Gin
cinnati club, owing to the uncertainty
about the feelings Of the different owners,
is equally undecided. The men whodesire
peace are trying 10 force consolidation,
and those who arc against II are trying to
cucrce the p~caccIugkerS To remain in the
Players league and 20 on on with another
year Of strife. The more both sides scheme
and mantuver the further apart they get
and the hauler it Is for them 10 reconcile
their differences of opinion.
When | say that the New York people
hold the key % the situation | mean
simply that II they hold pat and carry ont
tbgir plans, and the other ,iIls rciuHiu
obstinate, tle baseball war Nil Do pracli.
cally settled, fr although Tie Players
league mHy continue In existence it j. not
likely 20 BE- a ycry formidable rival IL the
National league without a r, p ia New
York. and with the men who have been
backing the Sew York. EnrUhlrn and
Cleveland ~. I.J club, iu the National
leagu. taai organization VIII have little 10
worry IL.
Ml,srs, NIcN'gia. Talcott, Robinson and
their allies arg satisfied THAI there is nD
roOu for two clubs in New York, Brook
Ign aud Cleveland ana they arc equally
satisfied that the people demand that this
senscisss v'aFiIr. over the control ot pro-
icssioual basel "a shall end, ani that It's
continuance will rain not only all Goa
rernci agauoillly, but the professional
game Itself, 20 lar rs ii is - lie considered
"a q profitable Investment.
II they favor what Is known rs the rule
or ruin" policy, and 10 a certain extent
that Is what their insistancc upon peace
means, they are in 10 way behind their
opponents in this regard. To use "A sport.
ing expression sit IL horse and horse"
Rather than not have consolidation by
which they believe the game can I've saved
and all parties will have an opportunity in
time TO get back their losses, they may lie
willing TO save themselves, although by 50
doing they take u step which may ruin the
Players league, On the other hand. the
men opposed g. them are quite a. much in
favor Of n policy which Is equally worthy
of being called rule or ruin for il is n
continuance Of strife which la the DELHI
crate opinion Of sCyeuttnths OF the base
ball MANAGERS VI the country VIII ruin the
game. and II this opinion is the corset one
Il will ruin al concerned to the extent Of
their vested interests therein.
III. Asu. Nay-l- 49,, b.,.a 49,. H. ts,,,
70 let others make the money they ave
already invested q dead loss, and 40 far us
! ran judge by many conversation with
them | think that when il becomes evi.
dent that IA genera consolidation is posi-
lively out Of the question they will resign
their club membership in the Players
league and consolidate their clubs with
the National league clfbs. This opinion
applies merely to New York and Brook
lyu. Whether A. Johnson VIII follow
them In case matters reach such a crisis Is
a question Of some doubt.
Col. McAlpin made one offer to the
Players league, and | think he Is stiil
ready to stand by il. He told his associates
that when capita engaged in a fight with
capital all Interested shorld tear equally
thc DuIuthn VI hAhs hBut' anu ht pfOpuscu
H. 1t was decided to fight TO the death that
each club should put up So0,1C9, as a fund
from which all losses should be made good.
He even offered TO make tho amount $50
go for each club. This Offer was noe ac-
cepted. Col. McAlpin's theory is a bust
hess one, and will commend itself to busi-
ness men everywhere rs being the only
proper way to carry on wal between capt.
talists.
The capitalists who are opposed 20 any
move which threatens the existence Of tho
Players league, charge that the New York
men and those who aid them are traitors
" the cause, and that, while they can have
no just objection If the Messrs. McAlpin
and Talcott want 10 lay down. they con-
slider that If those gentlemen wanted to
quit they should have gone about il IN a
different way. Thes think the proper
thing for the New York men 10 have lone
would have been to notify them quietly
and allow them to have purchased the
club, and not do the business in a way that
would throw down" their general part.
ners in the enterprise. They say that they
will not allow the New York men TO get
out unless they sell out to them, and they
propose to enforce this claim with the
bond signed by all parties when the League
was organized. Under this bond they
claim they can oblige the New York men
TO remain In the Players League.
Against this the New York men say they
will mt Scll nut and that tha hnnI ~ uea.