The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-31
! FOOL 5 ERRA'D
President Spaulding Charactsrizes
the Base Ball Conference
as Bootless.
Brotherhood Men Outvoted Their
Backers and Insisted on
Representation.
A. TO the Final Outcome He Does Not
Know-1nformal Conferences
still Continua

FOOLS errand to New York." said A. q.
6paldinQ upan his return from the confer
enoe between the National league, the
Players league, and the American associa-
tion, II went there confidently expecting
q compromise Of some sort and an end Of
warfare between tho rival factions that
have been running the national game. !
return with knowledge that nothing has
been accomplished, and for this the players
alone are responsible. Upon my return
an informal talk With three gentlemen
conneoted with the Players' league, Messrs.
Talcott, Goodwin and johnson. These
gentlemen were anxious for cessation Of
hostilities, and in an informal talk CON-
fessed that they had lost about all the
Talcott asked me what thought could be
done. told him that it was my opinion
that il the backers Of both Organisations
could get together, without outside in
fusnces Of any kind. they might be able to
bring an order out Of chaos that would be
piled that inasmuch a. in the Players
league certain players were also stock
holders, they wanted representation on any
conference committee that was appointed.
To this replied that the league would
never meet committee Of any kind upon
WulC0 tuoI0 wan b sWemO0I OF C00 0GOt00I.
hood. It did not object to ball player,
but would never countenance the secret or
Ranization that for two years had worked
to undermine and wreck it. The PlAyers'
league people then said they would like to
have Mr.. Ward on the committee, anyway.
T., replied s9 d. that ,v.hs had tho highest
and ball player. but that the league could
never meet the president of the brother
hood in any capacity whatever. Further
more, did not think Mr.. Ward would care
to sit in such a committee. considered
him too fair minded man not to be will
ing to permit the men who had lost their
money in the Players league to determine
upon their own plan to get it back"
Upon this point Mr.. Goodwin, Mr.. Tai
oott and Mr.. johnson agreed with me.
They left to form their committee. and Sc
curing telegraphio consent from all the
Players league clubs to 60 ahead, Presi-
and Goodwin as its members. In the mea n
time Mr.. Day and myself had hard time
in getting the National league to appoint .
committee to meet the gentlemen. and il
was only after seven hours hard work that
wo succeeded. We did mot dictate. the
players committee, but appointed ours
after theirs had been officially announced.
'sAt the first formal conference all went
we'll, plan of future action was mapped
out, and when We adjourned it locked az
tuOuBu duOtuoI lo0bluS WOulO emu G00 mat.
tor In a manner that would satisfy the pub
lie, the capitalist and the player. Before
We got together again, however, the
brotherhood held secret meeting, and, de-
termined to have representation in the con-
ference and by outvotin9 the capitalists in
the Players league, had Ward, Han
contrary to all parliamentary law and
usages, and in direct violation Of the agree
ment under which the conference was ar
ranged. Of course. we could not meet such
q committee, and SO negotiations were
ended and was reigned again. The league
recognized the unple asant position in which
the brotherhood, by its action, had placed
the original committee, Messrs. johnson,
Goodwin and Talcott. The gentlemen af-
terward regretted the action Of the Players
league in adding to the committee, but they
were powerless to prevent it. As for Ward,
Hanlon and Irwin, I don't believe they
would have attempted to break into that
committee il it hadn't been for others urg-
ing them on. They saw that the brother
hood was gone, but were spurred forward to
make final bluff by outsidere with per-
sonal interests at stake"
s'And the final outcome?"
"Oh, can't tell what it will be. The
league is ready to meet the capitalists Of
the Players league in q future conference,
il they request it, but they must furnish
satisfactory assurance that they have the
power in their league to Garry out their
agreements. But the league will never meet
the brotherhood. Yes, there have been sew
eral informal conferences since tho adjourn
ment of.the committee, but 20 far they have
come to naught."