The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-12

mates Manage to Reduce Salaries Guar
.nteed bv Contract-~Erstwhiie Naughty
pjavers Bend the Knee 90 Their Mas
tiers.
The shrewd guess which I made, that
The baseball magnates at their recent Sc
sret conference in New York city agreed
upon some important mode OF procedure
TO reduce current expenses in the big
League. has been verified. 10 has just been
discovered that the hackers at that meet
ing decided 10 reduce salaries of players
materially all around and at once Inc
resolution 10 restrict each club 10 only
thirteen players was very small part OF
the plan of retrenchment BY the whole
sale shaving down Of salaries did they de-
eide IN work out their financial salvation
principally.
To the man Of the commercial business
world it may seem strangs 10 READ aOouV
stated salaries stipulated in written con
tracts being reduced in medic res without
mutual consent. But mutual consent IN
this case is obtained by force. AT least 1t
Is Hobson's choice with the ball players
The plan of operation is embraced In a
written agreement which was signed by
the twelve clubs and placed in President
Young's hands for safe keeping, and as
state secret. This instrument pledges each
club TO keep hands of any player Tor all
the players) whom any club Of the twelve
may al any time release for the purpose OF
effecting a reduction in salaries. Ordina
rily the release Of a high priced, valuable
player would not be hardship TO him IN
midseason when more than one other club
needs bis services 50 much that be could
easily secure a larger salary elsewhere
But under this signed pledge release now
means a boycott, for beyond the twelve
clubs OF the National league there is no
other in the country in a position TO offer
him half the salary he has been drawing.
The plan provides for a general pool Of
all players who refuse to accept the cut
Under their contracts the players cannot
be reduced in salaries save by consent, but
they can be released at the option of the
club. Once released they 90 into pool
and are assigned by President Young at
the reduced salaries to some other one OF
the twelve clubs, and with that club they
must play at the price named or remain
idle without income.
1t is the clearest kind Of a case Of "heads
I win, tails you lose"
President Day announces that every
member Of the New York club has been
scaled IN salary and that every one has ac-
cepted. The great and renowned Buck
Ewing is said to have been the first TO take
the "gaif," and he did it with a meekness
that was almost Cbristianlike. The $4,000
prize, John Clarkson, was another of the
early martyrs in the good cause, and the
knife is to DO used universally save among
the members Of one team and upon those
few who have personal, guaranteed con
tracts Among the latter class are Char
ley Bennett, Of the Bostons; Roger Conner
OF the Philadelphia; Daniel Richardson
of the Washingtons; Captain Ward, of the
Brooklyns and Charles Comiskey, of the
Cincinnatis.
The one exception among the twelve
teams is the Brooklyns. When the Brook
lyns signed their players last spring 1t was
70 contracts which called for a modest re-
duction from the war prices Of the year
previous These cuts were equalized, and
no player of the number assigned to Brook
Ign was favored more than another. 1t re-
quired hard work to bring the members Of
the team down In submission TO the cut
but they finally all surrendered save two
Haddock and Lovett. The former, after
holding off nearly two months, at loss OF
$500 salary, finally signed. The other is
still kicking against the fates at sacrifice
of nearly twelve dollars day.
Ii is this team which is now excluded
from the general cut Of salaries. The
Brooklyn Pooh Bah, Mr.. A. +. Abel, says
he will stand by every contract as he made
It last spring, and If at tho end Of this
season he comes out loser he will make an
other reduction when his men are signed
for next year.
1t certainly smacks of revolution to read
about a wholesale reduction of baseball
salaries In midseason. How the situation
has changed in one short year, All through
1890 and 1891 the star players sat upon the
throne, and the magnates fell before them
and kissed the dust from their feet and
laid "the dust" ut their feet.
When the Jovelike Buck Ewing left his
home In Cincinnati in the early part of
1890 and started for the east the telegraph
flashed the news 10 New York. Imme-
diately agents from several clubs went TO
meet him. He was roosting on the high
est perch. At the hotels the magnates
sent their cards TO him and waited meek
ly their turns TO be permitted to 20 up to
his parlor and bid for his inestimable
service. Lol a changed Today the mag
pates say TO Mr.. Ewing, Your salary is
TOO high, and You must take just what we
think we can give you" There are no
cards. no parlOr and no advance agents.
The magnates are on the throne and the
stars are osculating at the steps thereof
No reasonable man who has knowledge
of the financial conditions of the baseball
business will doubt the statement that this
Casarean measure TO preserve the life OF
the game is necessary. Salaries are on the
average 80 per cent. higher than they were
before the wars Of 1890 and 1891, whereas
the general attendance has fallen of fully
80 per cent. from what it was in 1889. But
one club Of the twelve has made any money
this season, and most of them are far be-
hind in expenses
A continuation OF these unfortunate cir
rumstances would surely result in base
ball bankruptcy Many of the more SEN
sible players have the brains 10 see and
acknowledge the danger 10 their profession,
and il is their readiness 10 meet the issue
which oompels the selfish and shortminded
members Of the various teams TO fall in
with the general retreat TO lower and rea-
sonable salaries
When the second championship season
begins, on the 18th inst, there is chance
that the twelve club league will be in
much better condition to meet its obliga-
tions from the clubs treasures, instead Of
being forced to pull the money from the
pockets OF the various hackers. In that