The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-04
IF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
THREATENS TO WITHDRAW
ITS PROTECTION
MANAGERS OF THE WESTERN
WILL ASK THE COURTS FOR AN
IMMEDIATE RESTRAINING
ORDER.
CONFERENCE AT MILWAUKEE
Results In the Decision to Insist
UpOn the Conservation of West
ern League Rights.


The fate of the present Western Base
Ball league now seems to hang upon
the strength or weakness of John t.
Brush's strategic ability. If John is as
strong as he thinks he is, the present
league is now about half through to
use the artless expression of the pave
ment The Associated Press last night
sent out the following under a Mil
waukee date:
Another base ball war is on, but it will
not reach the proportions that the brother
mood war OF 1891 did. This time 1t is between
John Goodnow, of the Minneapolis club, on
side and the remaining six members of
the Western league on the other. Notwith-
standing reports to the contrary, Messrs.
Brush and Goodnow have made application
to the National league board to have protec
ton from the Western league, on the ground
that the agreement entered into with the
National league has been violated in more
than one instance, and they ask in return
that protection be granted them for the pur-
pose of forming another league, similar to
the Western league, with the exception that
they elect what cities they may desire.
When 1t became evident that there was
trouble ahead for the Western league, Presi-
dent Johnson called a meeting of the man
ayers in Milwaukee for this morning. Man
ming and Comiskey could not attend for the
reason that they could not possibly reach
TlvG5 here last evening, and with President
johnson held private conference in the Of
fce Of Attorney Killilea They mapped out
their plan o. :otion, which will be to vigor-
pusly oppose Bruss and Goodnow before the
board of the National league. Messrs john
son and Killilea were appointed committee
fore the board. They left at 4 o'clock this
afternoon for Chicago, and after a confer
ence with Jim Hart, Of the Chicago club,
they will start for New York and reach
there in time to attend the meeting of the
board at the Fifth Avenue hotel, Monday
morning.
league board decide to withdraw protection
from the Western league, an injunction will
be secured at once preventing the carrying
out of the proposed plans. The latest story
in regard to the war is to the effect that
new league will be formed, and that the
Eastern circuit will be made up Of Chicago,
city near the Ohio line. The Western end
would include Milwaukee. Minneapolis, Ona-
ha and either St. Paul or Des Moines.
Manager Comiskey packed bat bag
VIZ wearing apparel and sandwiches
yesterday, ready to start at moments
notice for the scene of war, but he
took the distance in easy marching
rtages SO to speak, and did not seem
10 be sorely exercised over the pros
poets.
The facts Of the matter are that, so
Tar as the usurpation of the league
throne by Brush is concerned, 1t will
pot be tolerated for a minute by this
league, as there are five solid votes
against the Brush element.
When it comes into the national
league, Of course, 1t Is proper to con-
slider Rudyard Kiplings suggestion
that that's another story" When
Brush gets into that league he is not
as big a frog ss he is in the Western
league, even. There are twelve clubs
in that league and there is no man in
It who can reasonably claim to be the
king pin. Nick Young runs ton a
salarY-and when the salary stops he's
through. The people who pay the sal
airy know how he runs 1t. One Of the
magnates Of that league who does not
love John T. Brush, with the heat of a
Roman chariot race is James A. Hart,
of the Chicago base ball club. They
were credited with being at swords
points when st. Paul was admitted to
this league in the first place, Wilmot
had an application in for the franchise
and was supposed to have Harris sup
port while 1t was suspected in some
quarters that Brush was behind Com
iskey. Even If that were true then, 1T
would look now as though Comiskey
and Brush were on opposite sides of
the fence. Another man who is inter-
ested in the Chicago club is A. c.
Spalding and he Is admittedly one Of
the powers in the big league, although
he is perhaps less assertive about 1t in
so far as dictatorial disposition is
concerned, than this same Brush.
Spalding was ball player in the flesh
once, and still is in the spirit. He may
be relied on to act for the best in
terests Of the national game, as he sees
them, and he is credited by his fellow
townsmen-in a reasonably fast town
as being possessed of at least ordinary
shrewdness and business acumen
Spalding not only had much to do with
developing the game in this country,
but he took 1t to pretty near every
place on the earth's surface where there
was level ground enough to play,
except the Sahara desert.
Two clubs that may be surely relied
upon not to take action against the
Western league are Louisville and
Cleveland, for the same elements which
are trying to upset the Western are
trying to throw them out in the cold,
cold world. Cleveland has not been a
money-maker this year, and, while
Louisville has cleared up little there
are some magnates in the league who
think they could place clubs in better
cities.
st. Louis. too, has troubles enough
Of Its own, so that 1t may be assumed
not to take any aggressive part in the
fight against the Western.
Reach, Of Philadelphia, is, perhaps,
as friendly to Brush as any of the
magnates, but he, too, has private
interests in miner league baseball
which would be apt to lead him to look
mercifully upon them when beset by
such scalpers as even his friend Brush.
The fact of the matter, Is that,
so far as the deal Is revealed at pres
ent, about the only one who has any
show to gain anything by the proposed
disruption is Brush, and there would
seem to be little cause for alarm lest
the rest should be taken on a blind
trail for his enrichment.
OPERATORS SURPRISED