Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-12

I
The Players league is beginning to realize
| that it has some rough roads to travel before
it reaches anything like success It is already
having some hard lines and viii have good
many more before bali Is thrown In It's
opening season Jealousy has already begun
| to get in its work, and the discussions il is
causing threaten to make serious gaps in the
| line of battle.
! The leaders in the new movement are find
ing that their anticipation Of easy running
was triie previous. fhe principal trouble
! is, Of course the lawsuits, but these they are
! confident they viii win, or at least they ap-
! pear to be sure Of victory. just the same,
the suit against John Ward, which VIII come
/ up during the term Of court which opens
! Jan 6, is giving them some uneasiness, owing
| TO the supplemental contract which Ward
| has with the New York club and which he
| drew up himself.
| In this document he practically acknowl-
edged that the club had right to his ser
vices In 1890, because no inserted in it clause
that he was not to be held for 1880 at less
salary than 5000. The natural inference
| Is that unless he believed the club had q right
to so hold him he would not have used the
words l have put In italics This supple
mental contract will have an important bear
ing on the case, although the Brotherhood
leaders affect to think otherwise.
Another difficulty, and one which the
Brotherhood men are willing to admit is in
juring them and their cause, is the rapaeity
Of some of the players, which is TO large ex-
tent superinduced by jealousy. It is this ra-
pacity which is causing many of the deseT-
tons that are occurring from time TO time
Those men who have held of from signing
regular brotherhood contracts are striving
to work the new league for large increases Of
salary.
Mr. Ward claims, and he is no doubt cor
rect, that there was thorough understand
ing in regard to the salaries to be paid when
the original agreements to secede were signed
1t was definitely stated that all players were
to receive from the Players league the same
salaries they had in 1889, except IN the cases
OF men who had been classified, and thess
men were TO get the salaries they received IN
1883. This was the agreement, made as plain
as possible, and Ward and the other leaders
say that the players must stick to it, They
argue, and with justice too, that 1T would be
unfair to those who have signed in good faith
TO allow those who have not signed TO boom
their salaries at the expense of the faithful
and Of the Players league. It was in pur-
suance Of this policy that Herman, WEIGH,
Myers and Thompson were refused their de-
mands, and the result was that three OF them
deserted TO the League, and WEIGH viii surely
follow.
WEIGH, it appears, they were willing to
give little more money, but his other terms
were deemed TO be preposterouS WEIGH
wanted 1900 year, with a strong personal
guarantee for three years and a proviso in
serted in the contract that in case of his
death the salary for his unexpired time
should be paid to his family Tim Keefe, in
speaking OF it, said: I'VE want to DO the
square thing by WEIGH, but we couldn't
agree to such demands L was not a ques-
ton of salary We were willing 70 give
within a few hundreds OF what be wanted,
but we coald not guarantee him any more
than the others, which is a year sure and his
salary for such other time as he might be IN
our employ; bat as for insuring his tfe for
his benefit, that Is simply absurd 1t viii
be seen that WEIGH must moderate his terms
II ne expects to be with the Brotherhood
Other men are insisting On large Increases
in violation of their agreements, and are be-
ing called down" by the Brotherhood lead
ers.
Those who are charged with taking advan-
tage of the situation brought about by the
Brotherhood movement to squeeze their
friends are not silent under these attacks
Their argument is unique, 10 say the Least,
and VIII set q good many OF the players TO
thinking. They argue that the leaders,
knowing that rebellion was certain and hav-
ing determined on it long before they signed
8 balj ont FER a,<c, ~
played the limit On the League IN that re-
spect, and OF course men like Ward, keefe,
Ewing, Hanloo, Pfefer and O'Rourke, who
got all the way from S., 0Oo in 1850 70 s., so,
are quite content not to ask for increase Of
salary. They knew what was coming and
got in on the ground foor. The rank and
fie did not, and they claim that where they
haye been getting less salaries than men who
are no better players, they a-s entitled TO
have their compensation equalized
These arguments are scoEed as By the
Brotherhood leaders, who do noe heS1a.e 20
charge that they enlansts from the Leegua
" hssher this be true or nos is innaHnal
The arguments work, and with Others, siTni-
isr, are fostering that jealous spirit witch is
fatal 70 success. Some men who have already
signed are beginning 70 discover that osher
hare been granted al increase, snd they are
sore IN consequence The men who hare not
Scned have one unansverahis argument Is
Is this: II any uncisssiied player is entitled
30 an increase over MS 1859 salary all arc en-
titled 70 all the increase they Can get
The multiplicity Of managers Is provi1ga
bad thing In Philadelphia Already two
prominent hackers, AeSxS wkit1aI end
TasSart. the latter Newspaper pcoyristor,
have become dsssussed with Sc z,ncA hsoker-
ing and have sod their stock and wsshdraza
from the movement Mr.. TaSsare ssya that
100 many coos SPOIL toe broth and he has
had enough His stock hss besn promptly
taken un, bot his detection mas CEASED feel-
ing Of insecurity azDsag toe E.osaezRaca Den
in PnsIa1ieapaiS-
In Chicago the Flayers' League eirb has
lost its groaroS. ewing to the opposition OF
the cittssns wac i've IN re vicinity, VICE ce-
jec.ed % the closing OF the street sass rg.s
through the grounds and nave persuaded tee
mayor 20 veto tie order ct she al6szg1sa per
r.listizs the uss Of TIE grou1iA aza tod
that the saa.s 5i2culty threatens toe BrooS-
lyu Piaysrs cub grounds and tae PittSSag-y
Piaysrs sub = as-..E.zz- !. - deal % rZSss.s