Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-04

Already Undoing Much That Has fleen
Dsne--The situation at the Present Time
Summed Up.
The Players league Il beginning to realize
that 1t has some rough roads TO travel before
II reaches anything like success. II is already
having some hard lines and will have good
many moro before a ball IL thrown In its
opening season. Jealousy has already begun
30 get In its work, and tho discussions 1t Is
causing threaten to make serious gaps In tho
line OF battle.
Tho leaders In the new movement are flnd
ing that their anticipation Of easy running
was triflc previous Tho principal trouble
is, Of course, the lawsuits, but these they are
confident they will win. or at least they ap-
pear to bc sure OF victory. just the sainc
the suit against John Ward, which will come
up during the term Of court which opens
Jan. q, IL giving them some uneasiuess owing
10 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 1880, because he inserted In IL clause
that he was not TO be held for 1880 at less
salary than 5000 The natural Inference
IA that unless he believed the club had right
to 70 hold him he would not have used the
words have put In italics This supple
mental contract will have an important bear
ing on the case, although tho Brotherhood
leaders affect TO think otherwise
Another difficulty, and one which tho
Brotherhood men are willing 10 admit is In
juring them and their cause, Is the rapaoity
Of some Of the players, which is to large ex-
tent superinduced by jealousy. Il Is this ra-
pacity which is causing many OF the dcser-
tions that are occurring from time to time.
Those men who have held of from signing
regular Brotherhood contracts are striving
10 work the new league for large increases II
salary.
Mr.. Ward claims, and he Is no doubt cor
rect, that there was q thorough understand
ing In regard TO the salaries to be paid when
the original agreements 70 seccde were signed
II was definitely stated that oil players were
to receive from the Players league the same
salaries they had In 1880, except Ia tho cases
OF men who had been classified, and these
meu were to get tho salaries they received in
lSss, This was the agreement, made as plain
as possible, and Ward and the other leaders
say that the players must stick TO II. They
argue, and with justice too, that II would bo
unfair to those who have signed In good faith
TO allow those who hsvc not signed TO boom
and Of the Players league. II was In pur-
suance Of this policy that Ticrnau, welch,
Myers and Thompson were refused their de.
mands. and tho result was that three OF them
deserted to the League, aud WEIGH will surely
follow.
Welch, It appears, they werc willing 10
| give a little more money, but his other terms
were deemed to DO preposterous Welch
wanted $1,000 year, with strong personal
guarantee for three years and n proviso in
serted in tho contract that In case Of his
death tho salary for his uncxpired timo
should be paid 10 his family. Tim Keefe, In
speaking of II, said: 1--WE want TO do the
square thing by Wclch, but wo couldn't
agree to such demands. II was not ques-
ton Of salary. We were willing to give
| within few hundreds Of what he wanted
| but we could not guarantee him any moro
| than the others, which IN a year sure and his
salary for such other time as no might be In
our employ; but as for insurlng his life for
his benefit, TINT Is simply absurd" II will
| be seen that Welch must moderate his terms
| IL he expects TO DO with the Brotherhood.
Other men are insisting on large increases
| In violation Of their agreements, and are DO.
ing 'calied down" by tho brotherhood lead
| ers
Those who are charged with taking ndvan
| tage Of the situation brought about by tho
| Brotherhood movement 10 squeeze their
| friends are not silent under these attacks
| Their argument Is unique, to say the least,
aud will set a good many OF the players to
thinking. They argue that the leaders,
knowing that rebellion was certain and hav-
ingictermined on ii long before they signed
| In 1889, held out for increase of salary and
played the limit on tho League IN that re-
| spect, and of course men like Ward, Kcefe,
| Ewing, Hanlon, Pfeffer and O'Rourke, who
| got all tho way from 5000 In 1889 to "a, 800,
are quite content not to ask for increase Of
salary. They knew what was coming and
got in on the ground floor Tho rank and
file did not, and they claim that where they
have been getting less salaries than men who
are no better players, they arc entitled to
have their compensation equalized.
These arguments are scoffcd at by the
Brotherhood leaders, who do not hesitate "a
charge that they emanate from the League.
Whether this be true or not Is immaterial
The arguments work, and with others, simi-
lar, are fostering that jealous spirit which {:
fatal TO success Some men who have already
signed are beginning TO discover that other
men, no moro entitled TO IL than they are
have been granted an increase, and they are
sore in consequence. The men who have moi
signed have one unanswcrable argument. II
is this: II any unclassiiled player is entitled
10 an increase over his 1889 salary all are en-
titled TO all the Increase they can get
The multiplicity Of managers is proving q
bad thing In Philadelphia. Already two
prominent hackers, Mcssrs. Whittal ant
Taggart, the latter newspaper proprietor
have become disguised with so much bicker
ing aud have sold their stock and withdrawn
from the movement, Mr.. Taggart says thai
"too many cooks spoil the broth and be ha
had enough" His stock has been promptly
taken up, but his detection has caused feel
ing Of insecurity among the Brotherhood mel
In Philadelphia.
In Chicago the Players League club ha
lost its grounds, owing TO the opposition o
the citizens who live in the vicinity, who oh
jccted TO the closing OF the street that run
through the grounds and have persuaded tn
mayor TO veto the order Of tho aldermen per
mtting the use OF the grounds am tol,
that the same difficulty threatens the Brook
lyn Players club grounds and the Pitttsburl
Players club ishaving great deal Of troubl
In finding any grounds at all
These are minor troubles compared will
those which arc to come When the yariou
clubs begin to equip their grounds and pu
up advance money In earnest next Marc
they will find that their ideas have not bee
in accord with tho magnitude Of the necess
ties Of the business.
Will the players, or rather the stockhold
ers for on them will come the burden, hav
the nerve and backbone required % oyercom
the increasing difficulties which confron
themi w. l. HARRIS