Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-30
Some Remarks About the Alleged
Peace Conference at Wash
ington City.
THE OUTRAGEOUS DEMANDS MADE
By the American Association Magnates
Shown 10 Be False, Absurd
and Unfair.
ABOUT THE CHECKER CONTROVERSY.
IA SyyrcecAtng Bstris between Jscf McAuifrs snd
Austin 6fbbonA

and invariably important about peace con
ferences. They mean that there is war anG
strife somewhere and things never 60 alons
very well amid hostilities. One peace con.
ference has been made historic because ons
of the members of it, after it was over, de
clared to his countrymen that he and hi.
colleague had obtained "peace with honor. p
That is an excellent phrase and one that
catches on" immensely, but I'm afraid
that not one of the members of the recent So
called peace conference of baseball magnates
at Washington will be able to use any such
phrase. If there was "war" in the baseball
world before that conference began there
ought to be war extraordinary now. OF
course the meeting of magnates has been
the event in baseball aft irs during a week
in which things were very quiet, and, as il
is the most important event of the week, ]
think we had better discuss it fully, and !
start out with the statement that in the way
of peace conferences have never heard or
read of such farce. have steadily held
that there was no "war," but Judging from
the demands made by the Ass ociation
magnates who attended the conferenc ce,
there must have been a conflict going on
that has placed the National League within
one little step of its grave. In all tho
conferences Of history the object of which
have been to permanently suspend hostilities.
there never were more outrageously unfair
and as extravagant demands made as those
made bv Won der Abe & Co. Why, the
American Association couldn't have de-
manded more if the National League had
been tottering and ready to collapse at any
moment. There never was such ignorant
audacity displayed nor a greater insult to
civ 4hor he 80
der Abe & Co. and the insult given to the
National League by the same party. As
rule ignorant people imagine that bluff
and bluster will succeed where power
and ability will fail, but when the
dealing of this class of people
is with intelligent men, men who have
something like correct notion of the prac-
tical affairs of life, the bluff and bluster 90
for very little, just as it has done in the
case of the National League and the Amer
ican Association. We can all belittle our
importance by assuming too much and
that's just what the American Association
people did at Washington
THOSE ABSURD DEMANDS
Certainly L am always in favor of having
everything going along as smoothly and as
harmoniously as possible, but 1 don't be-
heve In forfeiting ones right to live for the
sake of harmony. Liberty is very dear to
some people, particularly to Won der Abe
& Co., in fact, it is so dear to them that
they want TO keep it all and leave nothing
for anybody else. They wanted the League
TO consent to a reversal of the decision of
the Board of Control in the Stoyey-Bier-
bauer cases, and that these players be sent
back TO the Athletics. The request was also
made that Nickery and Shriver. who had
lately signed with Chicago, be returned to
the Milwaukee club, which had recently
Joined the American Association; also that
Pitcher King, Of Pittsburg, formerly of the
ST. Louis Browns, be placed in the control
of the st. Louis club in such disposition as
President Won der Abe might see fit to
make of him. In addition to this, the As
sociation demanded the right or privilege of
playing club in any League city that it
saw fit to favor, and such right should be
perpetual, and that even if an Association
club in League city should disband or for
any other reason forfeit its franchise, there
would still remain the power to replace
such club at any time it was deemed advisa-
BILE
That, in brief, is the substance of the As
sociation's demands. II there had been
anything left to demand doubtless it would
have been on the list, but the schedule of
these Association worthless was so COM
pletely in the way of wants that there was
nothing more to desire except that the Ma
tional League people should get off the
earth This demand may have been kept in
reserve to spring at any opportune moment
A LEAGUE VIEW OF IT
After the efforts at peace making had been
made at this remarkable peace conference
President Byrnes, of the Brooklyn Club,
Baid; "In consideration of our compliance |
with al these requests the Association was
willing to respect our contracts and right of
The absurdity of all their de- |
mands will be readily seen. We came here |
for the purpose of trying to arrange things |
for the future and let the past be dead They |
insisted upon raking up old matters and |
could reach no decision last night. Late in |
the evening the news came that Kelly had |
signed League contract They then said |
that they would not proceed with negotia- |
tions unless we obliged ourselves to force |
Kelly to 60 back to the Boston Association |
Club.
I'VE made no suggestions at all We
simply listened to propositions from the
other side. We notified them informally,
however, that the Board of Control was or
ganized with their consent, and on all ques-
IONS its decision was to be treated as final.
We do not feel that we had right to re-
verse the decision of the board having no
Jurisdiction over that body. We were will
ing to respect their territorial rights, and
would have them respect ours, as such rights
existed to-day.
1--WE never had any understanding,
directly or indirectly, that kasw of, that
each party TO this controversy SHOULD keep
It's hands off the players of the other pend
ng these yegotiations, no- did our commit
zee have any knowledge of whether or not
he Boston club was trading with Kelly.
We were perfectly willing, if we should
,ome to some understanding, to allow the
American Association to retain all the play
,rs they had taken from the League last
-ear When we adjourned last night we
to reconvene this morning at 10
,'clock. Mr.. Kramer said he would not be
lere, as he had to go away, but Messrs.
helps and Won der Abe stated they would
'e on hand, although they have not done
SOME DEFINITE OBJECTIONS.
It will be observed that Mr. Byrnes does
Tot give his reasons why he thinks the de-
hands unfair, but he explains how and why
he conference terminated. He makes it
-uite clear that the collapse of the confer
nee was no fault of the League; but it NAV
,e that the Association magnates thought
bame of their own demands after they had
made them and hadn't the nerve to remain
n Washington any longer. Just think of
he wisdom and fairness of the wonderful
rio who represented the Association. The
association had already assisted in the or
of q Board of Control, and the |
utter had awarded Stovey and Bierbauer to |
he League. But despite that, Won der Abe
; Co. want the two players back, also King,
lille at the same time every PLAYER that
as been pilfered from national agreement ,
lubs by the American Association must | ,
l. l. i :,