, 1891-11-01

Politics may make strange bedfellows
but in so doing politics has none the better
Of baseball. Lightning change artists eau,
not discard their costumes with any more
dexterity than is manifested by some mem.
bers of the great family of magnates in
switching platforms. Hobnobbing in
League councils today are some of the mis-
guided souls who plotted death to the old
organization n brief year ago. Doctrines
denounced as slavish have been accepted
as correct. In the Association the same
picture may be seen, but these old prints
are kept turned toward the wall. When,
however, a man boisterously advocates a
principle he as warmly decried only a few
months ago, the ludicrous sid of the case
will not down.
In the spring OF 1890 j. Earle Wagner
was the author OF a story that our mutual
friend William Barnie had gone crazy over
the looting OF the Baltimore club by the
Brotherhood. and that he was in some asy-
lum playing marbles for the championship
of Maryland. Before tears could be dried
Mr.. Barnie bad started a few hundred
thousand dollar libel suits rolling. To
day we see a new partnership for 1872
Wagner and Barnie! When Columbus
WAS welcomed into the fold AS the Associa.
tion's baby / was at the christening at st.
Louis. Warm indeed was the welcome the
Ohio brethren received. Now it is on the
docket to betray that club TO make room
for a new one in Chicago.
The American association, it must be
truthfully said, monopolizes the greatest
share of current interest in baseball af-
fairs. 1t is generally accepted that the
National league circuit will not be tam
pered with, but no less than nineteen cit
les have been mentioned as possible mem
bers OF the Association next season.
Thu talk about Chicago is as warmly
plausible now as the July assertion that
Earle Wagner "had completed arrange
ments'' for a new club for Pittsburg next
season." Louisville opened its book to the
public some days ago and revealed a loss
of nearly 81 600, as the result of its partici-
tion In the skirmish with the League this
year. Since that hour a new regime has
been commenced and Louisville will re-
fuse to be frozen out"
Columbus has sunk thousands OF dollars
in baseball and no better or more honor
able business men exist than "Cooney''
Born and Ralph Lazarus. II the Associa-
tion refunds a good portion OF the money
lost it is possible that Columbus may
gracefully surrender the franchise and
hail Chicago as its successor. There can
be no other way. The courts stand be-
tween Columbus and sandbaggers. 1t
would be folly to attempt to outline the
course the Association will pursue. There
are so many irons in the fire that some
must needs cool and be rejected in the
framing OF a new circuit.
On the ed of October the Association
will look over the ground at Chicago-a
meeting having been called for that day at
the Wellington. In preparing to carry
the war into Africa the Association gener.
ais overlook one little idea. II it came
down to the question of a life or death
struggle the National league-with a sal
AIRY list no larger than the Associations
would be on a war time basis-could GER
Iainly meet the enemy with their own
boosted -weapon-oheap ball. 1t is possible
that all this noise is made simply to drown
out sounds of preparation for peace. In
his thoughtful moments, no one has been
a more emphatic advocate of Il return to
paths of peace than the leading spirit in
the projected Chicago enterprise-Christo-
pher Won der Abe.
In one of his lucid intervals at st. Louis
last week he actually talked OF quitting
the Association and returning to the old
commonwealth plan of playing %independ-
entlyi The cry for war may cover a mul-
itude of secret pipers for a peace that is
mutually desirable. Unless the factions
have agreed by common consent to further
cripple the goose that lays the golden egg
for the sole benefit OF the star ball player,
there will be u speedy cessation Of hostili-
ties and a Thanksgiving day reception to
the white dove of peace which was winged
Mt Washington.
When Jack Frost comes to town the
kings of the diamond may as well move
out. The autumn days have slipped away,
and the only semblance of interest In the
aNhfhiffnn ramnafuu UNA raptara1 ont In
Iowa.. The Corn Huskers of Sioux City
won the pennant in the Western associa-
ton, and when 1t seemed certain that Chi
cago wou win the flag in the League a
series of contests was arranged to take
place during the Corn Palace exposition.
Fate was cruel TO THE old man." and he
stumbled on the home stretch. But Chi
cago has met the western enemy and has
lost. Six times did the Leaguers face the
determined w~esterners, and on four occa-
sions Chicago bowed low before the con
quering Huskers.
In two OF these Victories Will Hart, once
IA Cincinnati Red, ofnciated in the box.
Ehret and Meakim each won one game.
No other city save Chicago received az
much as a bare bulletin during the progress
of the struggles, but the result has made
the western remains rise and throw out its
chest with the sepulchral observation, 1--WE
will be the people"
1t would not be fair to Chicago to omit
remarking that neither Schriver nor Kit
ridge took part in the games. Merritt was
behind the bat in two and Arson, who was
a catcher back In his salad days, filled that
role in the other our Hutchinson wor
one and Luby the other game OF C~hicago'i
pair, while the losses were divided so-"OlC
Hutch" three and the Texas Steer'' one
1t was hard to see the League flag 60 Il
another club and it must have been gal
and NORWOOD to see the western honors
captured by a club IL the baby Of the ma
tional agreement family. Sioux City has
some old favorites on the roll. Harry
Raymond, who did the double somersault
from Lincoln to Louisville and return, is
one of them. Will Earle, who spanneC
the globe with the tourists in 1888, is an
other. He caught in the entire series, anC
accepted "a out of So chances, building foI
himself the great fielding average of .9Tl
AT the plate he made l2 hits in ~ times IA
., Enn