Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-20

If there were ever any doubts concerning
the waning interest in baseball the meeting
of the magnates at Chicago during the past
week must have dispelled them. The
gathering was more like the meeting to-
gether OF lot of men to sing funeral
dirge than anything else. The proceedings
were doleful despite the efforts of the mag
mates to wear smiles. Most certainly this
annual meeting was far below par in en-.
thusiasm with those of former years.
There wasn't much done outside the
routine, but the little there was done sug-
gests many things One fact was fully de-
monstrated, or rather more proof was added
TO the fact because the latter has been
known for a long time. 1t was fully proven
that the present League is under the con-
troll of clique and an unscrupulous one
who care as little about the integrity of the
national game as their organ cares about
truth and civility. 1t was also proven that
this clique have law for magnates and an
other for PLAYERS which 1 will presently
point out. Altogether the meeting showed
that in baseball we have despotic mo-
b. nopoly controlled By clique of schemers
regardless entirely of the principles of
justice. Need we wonder then that base
ball is losing favor?
The most wonderful piece of business
done at that meeting was the unique method
OF disposing of the Pittsburg clubs claim
against the Washington club for s., 900 be-
cause of the latter team leaving the field be-
fore a game was ended. The case was so
clear against Washington that the full
penalty had to be imposed, but Just as soon
as the fine was agreed upon it was resolved
TO remit $50 of the 81, ,000 Of what earth
" use are rules in the face of this?
1t may have been sympathy for the i'm
poverished Washington club that prompted
the remittal. I'm not going to argue what
were the promptings, but the action of the
magnates in this case was in strong contrast
TO their action IN a PLAYERS case. That
hero of the League organ, Won der Abe,
fined Cliff Carroll in the most unreasonable
way on record The treatment of Carroll
was simply outrageous Naturally, Carroll
appealed to the magnates for redress, be-
lievlng that their professions of Justice
were at least to some extent true
His appeal was in vain, as the
clique taciUly Endorsed the action of
one of their star members. There
was no sympathy for poor Cliff Carroll
as there was Tor the magnates at Washing
ton; and let me say that more honest and
sober PLAYER than Carroll never lived. The
only conclusion that we can come to is that
the action of Won der Abe is the action au-
thorized by the League
pass over the unfair treatment meted
out to the Pittsburg club which is not in the
clique. The unfairness was SO apparent as
to need no comment
Those Cranks at Tinkering.
To be sure those persons who court no.
toriety by always wanting rules changed
and tinkered were at the meeting There
was no millennium plan this time; it is an
exploded bladder now, but there was the
new diamond notion and few other things
Just as silly and just as characteristic of
liquid intellects as the utopian "plan." Of
course all the vendors of quack remedies
pointed out that something must be done
to revive an interest in baseball" All!
You see they admit the games popularity is
waning. Happily no changes were de-
cided on.
Let me point out one thing absolutely
necessary and that is to find out the cause
OF the decline of baseball interest before
we begin TO apply remedies. Ii we do this
we'll find that the PLAYING rules have had
nothing TO do with Is. The revolt of
the players caused the whole trouble.
When they made their most unj njustifable
break everything was glorious. Their re-
volt gave riseito feelings of dislike, hatred,
indifference and disgust among baseball
patrons that have not vet died away. Curl
ously enough one of the prime leaders of
that stupid and deplorable break was the
gentleman who now assumes to pilot the
League organ" 1t is strange, but true.
The Players League was gotten rid of
and then the relationships betN cen the As
Tsnran aud Lon o-rrrl c+ro1 aa1
more the public were disguised and once
more what is known now as the League
Organ" was against common sense, right
auI the National League and on the side
Of Won der Ahesnl
Then came the consolidation, the
worst blUnGer of all, because it has lowered
the standard of baseball By putting into one
class l. clubs some of which should be in a
lower class. The very fact that the mag
mates are irving to make the game easier and
less scientific proves that somebody is not
able TO keep up the pace. Their idea is to
20 backward toward the primitive method
o! the game instead of increasing its beau
tiful and sEillful points. In other words. it
is dragging the frst-class teams down to the
level of the second-class. That is not pro-
Eress.
1ects of the rules have not injured the
yame The general management have dis
gusted the public: the game is all right just
as it was in 1855 and lSSa Good manage
1nent and baseball on principles OF justice
will restore everything.
There is another feature. The League Or
gan itself has done and is doing much to
dis urD the baseball world. Whenever a
writer respectfully ventures an opinion
contrary TO that organs notion the writer
IS not replied TO in civil terms, but is the OBJ
iect OF abusive and violent spIutterings.
have carefully noted that this has been the
fate OF almost every able writer in the ccun-
try who has ventured an independent
thought This undoubtedly begets discord.
We cannot be all right and only intelligent
discussion will put us on the correct road
ii we do not allow our opinions to crystal
lie into creeds or Judgment to be perverted
by personal Feelings.
Local and General Football.
Interest in football still keeps up at a high
mitch in all parts of the country. The great
event of the year. viz: The Thanksgiving
DAY onnle will have been played be lore next
Sunday if all GOES well. Heretofore national
interest in football had to a great extent
vanished with the contest named. The
cause for this has been quite apparent.
There were hardly any football teams OUT
side th. college teams. Now matters are
quite different There are Teams IN almost
every large city in the country, and these
to1yns can continue the game long after
Thanl,sgiyinp Day should the weather be
favorable. ,o..,-,,
ZOO So or anvthing like it with the Thanks
Ewing Day sunset. The sport is Of the most
5,onni1r and invigoratlng KIND, am there
nnTt T1Ientv of teams TO continue ,sport
,1ntil after New Years Day If Gather
is ANYTHING like favorable. L" e that
.I,is vear there will be mo- after
Thanksgiving Day than W had.
The prospects TOR neF treat
game are very good. s'l.s sure
ti1iIISyn TOR 6ale ard a- ,.-. New
Hn,,Sn men viii orites
.uainsr the Tigel - - uSufe