The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-27
1nE nlsE pAnL s1ruAr1oM
short Step John N. ward elves ssns
OptniOns.


OpiniOns.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN Sir: In reply
! ing to the recently published statement OF Mr.
| A. G. 6palding that interest In the game OF base
ball was declining, and fixing the responsibility
of this upon the Players League, took excer-
ton to Mr.. Spalding's deductions, and gave
what, to my mind, were the real causes for any
apparent change. An editorial In your Issue OF
the 10th, without. / believe. taking into con-
sideration all the facts. charaoterizes my reply
! as a triho disinRenuous," and therefore
| beg you will permit me to point out lew OF
| the facts YOU seem to have overlooked.
At the timo Mr.. Spaldlng spoke there was
nothing TO Justify his statement. The actual
aggregate attendance at base ball in the same
citiee, was considerably in excess OF that Tor
the Same number OF days in the preceding
Jason. and this. too. Notwithstanding the
most unfavorable weather. In view OF this
| SpaldinR, 1t looked very much as II there were
| some Interior motive back OF his claim, ana 70
| National League methods in the past this was
plain In the division OF patronaHe maze haS
by conflict Of dates a the GaanGio mao 40
much SO that q crisis had been reached with
several OF it's clubs. The League nag gone i 0ns
was expires cling lite disapproval Mr.. Spalding
was even then returning from ameeting where
club. Something had to be done. FIRST, to distract
attention from the condition OF the League,then
Billy f for "a any possible catastrophe. MIR. spald
ing chose the desperate and wholly, unwar-
s Tbefe was no o. decrease and the League
itself was suffering only from Its own Jolly.
The particular statement to- OF mine b d %nsa s0 OF
interest II any is due to the reckless TACTICS 81
the old League in its attempts TO kill on a fair
the game" do not refer to the attempts OF
the League to bride our players into VIOLATIONS
GERS and organs in trying to besmiroh the rep
utations of players and stockholders Though "
Become Se,n n nausestei BY ali this. simply refer
to the course Of the League In forcing contlict
OF dates and CONSEQUENT division; Il not dimi-
present conditions" the League could not |
live. had In mind again the same thing. and
the Players League. see no reason why. un-
der a ponconfioting schedule, both organiza-
why Why does " not the Players League changeits
schedule. reply. because the present hight was
mot # En but esN eyspa
opportunity to avoid it even sending an official |
outline % our schedule to the Leagues schedule |
meeting, and II was actually followed, instead |
You say: Any decreased interest In the ma
Players League" and further the new League
has robbed the game Of its supreme magnet
&hss sroand do say nson
al championship involves a contest between
the champion clubs Of the recognized Leading
not, and admitting our right TO exist.
Of dG the Paysqs IeaeaS
sponsibIe for any decreased interest to about
ftet hs 5S Of
and place the assault would not have occurred
control professional base ball. and Is Just
You are certainly under a MISREPRESENTATION.
You forget that We officially offered to enter
bali oreanSaons pro1dns ~ only that
sa%s 70 S0 e1oius11e tsrfise S POSSESSION.
American. We were willing TO make an agree
ment that should uphold the Integrity OF con-
but you seem to have forgotten the
surprsing discourtesy our offer met at the
Of raspsb the
caie to restrain Ing liberty Of its PLAYERS 10
s Hssff this Sh Il
admits the right Of any to enter the Held. 'N'
has sst0s been s and 2r
he The rsser1s rae was one
y strongest weapons and the great ma
nent for It's own advancement, 1t fought with
lust as much bitterness against the establish
nent Of the American Association as IL now at
Association has always had has been its pre-
ended friend and ally. the National League.
With the Association despoile led Of its strongest
attractions its own preeminence was oil but
assured until the Players League movement
again thwarted this. And now every force is
iirected against us. 1t stops at nothing. and
10 casual observer can possibly estimate the
magnitude and multitude Of It's efforts TO break
is down and destroy public confidence in our
In such fight every lover Of the
port, every professional ball player. and every
me whose livelihood in any way depends upon
widespread public interest should be array
ID against the magpates. JOHN N. WARD.
BKOOKIYN MAY "a