The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-12

II the Pacific Northwest League, from n. Z.
II Young, president of the National League.
and member of the new national board,
Ia which looks after the enforcement
Of the provisions of the new agreement
IN adopted at the League meeting held in
II New York on March q Mr. Rockwell
II wrote Mr.. Young several weeks ago fully
i about Camps case, and received a brief re-
ii ply stating that it could not be laid be-
II fore the board of control because there was
no such body. Mr.. Rockwell wrote again
reminding the League president of the
! rights that the minor associations were en-
titled to by paving their assessments un-
der the terms of the national agreement.
Since then National Board of Profess
sonal Base Ball Associations" has been
established to take the place of the old
board of control. and Mr. Young was
chosen rs one of the three members. The
letter written by him to Mr.. Rockwell is
as follows:
ii Sir: Your favor received. II II were possible
for US, even in baseball, as we'll as in all human
affairs OF life. to get slight glimpse OF the fu-
ture, we could avoid many mistake 1t is true
that advised your association to secure reser-
\ vation priyleg es. 1t is equally true that in do
i ing so had no other motive than to advance
/ your interests. Under the existing state
Of affairs at that time / conscien-
| tously believed that your future well
fare as an organization very largely depended
l on your doing so. Had not the national
agreement and the reservation privileges OF the
i old National League and all other baseball or
/ CARNATIONS acting under it been wiped out by
l and through the settlement of the then exist
/ ing baseball war which very seriously threat
l ened the life of our national game you would
\ have enjoyed the right of reservation and pro-
lection so far as it was in power to afford it.
Asit is at present, under the changed condi-
ton of affairs, you can share the bene-
fits which must inevitably come to every
baseball club in the land through the settle
ment OF past differences and a general revival of
| interest. Your people, evidently. have not con-
! siered this phase of the question. Neither
have hey considered what it cost the new
4 ranizstion to establish peace and prosperity.
twill cost us in hard cash more than 800 times
what your association paid for reservation. I
have referred your letter to Chairman Byrne,
| who, as a member of the committee on behalf of
\ tie League, effected a settlement, and can ex-
plain why such settlement would have been
impossible without wiping out old lines, and
forming an entirely new organization. Yours,
N. E. YOUNG.
President Rockwell says that he appre-
GATES the good work done at the Indian
apois meeting in patching up peace be-
tween the two warning major leagues. but,
like many others, cannot understand why
the rights of reservation of minor leagues
should be taken from them without even
notification at the time or since, until re-
Gently The long and honorable service in
baseball of Mr.. Young and others associ-
ated with him in the indianapolis treaty,
entitle them to a great deal of considera-
\ ton and respect, and yet at the same time
a. : Loo tI,ar- bod
at the time they were arranging the differ
ences between the big leagues, been guilty
Of a serious oversight in failing to
make any provisions concerning the
rights and duties of minor leagues
which they professed desire to protect.
After allowing the matter to run along
until complaints and disputes from the
lesser organizations forced it upon their
notice, the powers that be suddenly re-
member at this late hour that there was
some provision made. John F. Brush,
president of the Cincinnati club, at the re-
cent New York meeting pointed out that
ct the Indianapolis meeting reservation
privileges, not only of the League and AS
ISOLATION, but of all other associations I'M
der the national agreement, were wiped
out and that the powers of a committee
as to include within its scope everything
pertaining to the players, snd gave it alb
soute control over all ball players of what
soever degree and position. While this
sctioirprobabiy was taken, and might have
been INTENDED TO include minor league
players. there was never any notification
given to the officials fsuch organizations,
either directly or through the press, that
fha -, y,Er W. a
The Pacific Northwest League proposes
to base its ground OF action on the fact
that it complied with all of its obligations
under its contract for protection, while the
other parties failed TO fulfill theirs. In ac-
Cordance with the terms of the national
agreement 81 600 was forwarded to the
board of control of April 9, 1891, as the
consideration for protection, which in
Guided the right of reserving players Tor
one year from that date. On October 9, as
\ required by the agreement, a list of play
s ers reserved by the Pacific Northwest
League was sent in. One of the players
Oh Sesttle's reserve list was Winfield Scott
Camp. whom Pittsburg signed without the
: least notice to Seattle of Its intention.
The otienSe is more aggravatlng because
after the Pacific Northwest League had
f''N 4Rt EEtitNAlpll tAAAAAliS AN"' N--N- 49,
anumber Of its players were stolen by the
california League. and now there promises
TO be a repetition of last seasons piracy.
The course taken by the league in the
Camp matter would seem to mean that the
minor leagues will so 10 fighting for play
ers as they did last year, and none VIII
enjoy protection Already a California
club has signed Jack Tanning. reserved by
Tacoma, and il is not unlikely that the
Pacific Northwest clubs will adopt retail
atory measures. Again, there is apt TO De
trouble over the fact that President Will
iams, OF the Western League, has issued
bulletin of players signed, or whose terms
nave been accepted, several OF whom are
either signed or reserved by PACING North
Vest League clubs, and are expected
: 10 come here. President Young,
reports are true, certainly
seems oUen 10 critiscism IN ms
action in FInning's case. Some time ago
Manager Harms, wishing to sign Tanning,
consulted Mr. Young in the matter ana
received notification that he must Keep
hands oil, as the Pacific Northwest
Leagues rights Of reservation must be
respected. When, however. Camp was