Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-08-17
STILL UNSETTLED.
w. l. Harris Opinion on the
Perplexing Baseball Outlook.
MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN SUNK.

Neither Side VIII Compromise Now.
They Propose to Fight II Out TO the
Bitter End. but to Preserve the Ma
tionai Interest In the Game.
The agitation by baseball writers Of the
question of compromise has accomplished
something, iuasmuch rs il has brought out
the fact that there is no prospect of a com
promise during the present playing season
unless II he of "A nature lot AT all likely to
occur. Al Spalding, who seems to have
been selected by common consent TO he the
mouthpiece Of the National league, de
clares that the only compromise that the
league will listen To must contain at the
start a proposition of unconditional sur.
render, 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
to be true when the surrender, which he
says is inevitable, makes itself apparent.
Mr.. Spalding suggests that. the players
tell the men whom they have persuaded
to invest money in the Players league to
be content with their present losses and
quit the business, thus giving the players
an opportunity 10 offer their services to
their old employers.
This sounds well, but Mr.. Spalding must
know that even il 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 assisted them in their new depart
ure. They should he grateful enough to
the capitalists Ia stand by them to the end,
but even IL moral obligations should no;
hold 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
quit are the capitalists rather than the
players. The former think they can en-
force their contracts. and even IL 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 are right.
Mr.. Spalding's interview and suggestions
show that the National league apparently
still underestimate the strength of these
opponents. II is to be hoped that he and
his associates may get a clearer view Of the
situation before the next season begins.
and 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 aud some Of the hackers are pretty
nearly ready to quit, but the great MAORI
ty Of them ave no more intention Of doing
SO without another season in the business
than Mr.. Spalding has OF Jumping over
board while on his way across the ocean.
They propose to 60 ahead, and new men
will be found to take the place OF weaken
ers. The National league may be'quite as
well satisfied Of this n any one else, but
they do not give any evidence Of 1t.
The interests of our great national pas
time are more important than those of any
player, club or magnate, and they demand
that there shall lot be a war of extermina-
| ton rs the result of a hand to hand con-
test, fguratively speaking. between the
National and Players league. There is no
doubt that the result will eventually he a
survival Of the f~ittest. but let the test be
made in a way that will not wreck profess
loua utstDaii thlifSlls lut tHo itdkutS
should not, in their intense desire to kill
each other off, ruin the public patronage
they are each striving to obtain. And that
is what they will surely do il the present
cutthroat policy is pursued. II they must
tight il out, and the indications are that
they will have TO do so, let the fight be
under some kind Of rule so that the public,
who will eventually decide the matter,
may enjoy the battle rather than be fret
ful and apathetic during It's progress. An
agreement between the parties would do
much toward checking the decreasing in
terest In professional games. That agree
ment need not he a surrender by either
side, but simply al arrangement for a test
Of the question rs to whether or 10, under
favorable circumstances, IL he possible for
two such leagues to proftably exist. am
satisfied that they cannot do so in the same
territory, but ! am equally certain that
nothing but a fair trial will convince the
capitalists and the general public.
There IRE already indications that both
leagues will try and steal away each 9TH
ers' star players next season. This is a
poor policy and IL meddling with fire.
Neither side should lend themselves 70
such a practi, e, because il will surely un-
dermine the public confidence now exist
ing in the integrity OF the national game.
II any player on either side who signed "A
contract for q year desires at the expira-
ton Of his contract to go over TO the ene-
my well and good, but successful efforts to
purchase the allegiance Of contracted play
es by either side will do great harm to
baseball. and even attempts to do 10 are
not apt to do much good TO the clubs en-
ploying such methods. The fewer sharp
ers there are in baseball the better 1t will
be for baseball. Let the clubs on both
sides keep their hands of contracted men.
Every man corrupted will put a spot on
the fair fame ~ the sport that years Of en-
deavor cannot wipe out.
Fight II you must, gentlemen, but fight
M fairly as the circumstances will let you;
in all your moves keep the good name
of the game and the belief in the honesty
Of its opponents unsullied.
WHAT IL SAID.
That Ward. Ewing, Comiskey and Kelly
have their eyes on Doran, the star pitcher
Of the Atlantic association.
That Harrisburg Is not such ~ berry
as SOM Of the Atlantic association people
expected.
That Grant, the colored player, will be
always indisposed when his team reaches
Baltimore.
That the grand stand at Brotherhood
park, New York, is an imposing and spa
| cious structure.