Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-06
SPORTING MATTERS.


Brotherhood-The Press Prejudiced
ON the Side ofthe National League.
A COURIER reporter had quite chat with
Arthur Irwin, one of the principal players
back of the Brotherhood movement. He was
asked to give the Brotherhood side of the
question and h. willingly complied.
''In the first place, !" he said, 1.-THE press is
greatly prejudiced against this movement,
and the players cannot get what is due them.
Generally the reporters in the large cities are
the paid official scorers of the National league
and is 1t not natural to>suppose that they
will try to prevent facts to give the National
league the strong side Of the question: These
organs do not give the news; they are con-
stantly throwing dirt, although they live in
glass houses.
"a series of injustices has led up to this
outbreak on the players part. We have
tried time and time again to get the league
to recognize us, but Its representatives. have
treated us with contempt. In November,
1888, we did get them to consent to put in
the contract what each man was getting, but
at the meeting Of the National league and the
American association the former went back
on it's agreement. Mr.. Rogers then wrote
very curt note to Mr.. John Ward, saying that
the American association under no circum-
stances would agree to 1t, but that the regu-
larly stipulated sum of $4,000 must be In
serted.
"Then, In order to get even with as, the
National league adopted the classification
rule. When it came up before the league,
Mr.. Day of New York got up and said:
"Gentlemen, that is all very well, but my
team must be exempt" ''That's oil right,
Mr.. Day, you are exempt" Then Boston,
ph{1o1a1phjo aud NbiOanp al
1t was blow at Washington, Indianapolis
and Cleveland. Denny was paid $1,000
for 1883, but. in 1889 he was cut down to
81, $50.
''It was mostly because of this injustice
that we decided to take our present move.
all the players to strike in July last We
told him to wait until his contract ran out.
What does President Brush do! He hires
Denny in his store to sell clothes during the
Winter for $12 week. Then he talks to
Denny, and finally says: you don't want
to 60 back on me. Here's that $3.50
took from $1,000 next seasons' Denny's eyes
after Brush had intended to rob him of that
money, and paid 1t back only because he was
obliged to.
"There never was more injustice done any
people than us. We ere slaves, and dare
not say our soul is our own. Let me ex-
plain. You are reporter. Suppose you
are working for $25 week. You are smart,
and New York editor thinks you are worth
$50 to him and he offers you this sum. You
say all right, just as soon as your contract
runs out, and that year you work harder
than ever in hopes of getting more salary.
Your editor-in. chief hears of the offer. He
goes to the New York man and says: This
will never do; we must form a union.' An
agreement is signed whereby every editor
In, orJykr ~ 70 h
employed by another man, except as he buys
him, body and soul, of another editor. This
other editor would not seek you unless he
thought you were worth more to him, but
instead Of paying the money to you he gives
it to your employer. At the end of the year
your editor says that he is satisfied with your
work, but that he cannot afford to give you
more than SIS a week for the next year. You
open your eyes in CONSERVATION. You think
of the offer from the New York editor, and
strai9htway you apply. he says he is sorry,
but he can't give you $50. The result is that
You must take cut from $25 to $15.
"That is my case exactly It is boycott,
pure and simple, in force in free country.
Do You blame me for revoltinga"
"Another thing that forced US to this was
the way players were peddled around when
a club disbanded. Look at the Detroit deal.
Who got the benefit of that deala Why,
Boston, of course, because they had the
most money. What good did Cleveland get
out of it, That city simply paid $15, 900 for
nothing. We think that when a new city is
admitted the new member should not be
ground and crushed down.
"Take another case. When I was in the
Providence team we were very strong. Mr..
Day, of New York, and several others get
together and say that team is too strong; we
must break that team up. They decide that
no visiting team shall receive pecentage of
gate receipts, but must take guarantee of
$3.50. We played Boston eight games at the
beginning of that season, and we were 60
strong drawing card that in the four games
we played in Boston We drew enough to pay
the entire salaries of the Boston team for
that year. We got nothing out of it, as we
drew big crowds away from home, but very
few at home, and 1t killed the club.
"Look at the parsimoniousness of the Bos
ton team. Although am Bostonian, yet
when my wife goes to game when I play, I
am charged 81.
"Let me say that if the American public is
to decide this, that we will win. If money
is to do the business, then the National
league will beat us. As regards the deser-
tions, we are not downhearted. We have
100 men signed, and have had IS assertions
At tho start we anticipated rs assertions. l
will not be surprised to see the number in
crease to 49,"