The Saint Paul globe., 1896-07-12

The Louisville magistrate, who Is prob
ably base ball crank, recolleeting that
his favorite club has had few chances
this season to humiliate visiting teams
and uphold the pride and dignity of.
I the commonwealth, came to its rescue.
and assessed fines upon the invaders.
/ graded downward from $10O to s25 in
order to fit the specific crime in each
! case.
Still, the end was rot reached. When
was boy and went to school in the
country, 1t was the custom among the
Spartan-like fathers Of that day when
boy got whipping at school to ad-
minister to the victim of pedagogic
wrath second chastisement as soon
as the unhappy youth returned to the
sacred precincts Of his home, and the
second bastinado did not result from
an investigation Of the merits Of the
| first but as a matter Of course Sc
quence. The national league seems to
| have adopted that old-fashioned way of
dealing with its erring sons, for right
Oh top of the judicial fines imposed at
Louisville comes an edict from the ma
tional league board of directors adding
5000 to the sum Of Capt. Tebeau's flnan-
cial punishment, with the provision
that unless 1t be paid into the league
| treasury within ten days after notifica-
ion he shall be ineligible to play until
the fine is liquidated.
There can be no doubt that Tebeau
is too extensively aggressive upon the
ball-ield He has gone just a bit too
far in urging his men to scrap and
claim all in sight Perhaps it is the
manner in which he does this more
| than the persistency with which he
keeps it up which has finally called
down on his 1uckless head the punish
ment of Kentucky courts and the league
directors. Once before l compared
Tebeau to DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde.
His private and baseball natures are
antithetical twins. In everyday life
Tebeau Is a mild hammered, sociable.
agreeable young man, who wins
| friends wherever he goes. But the
ballf1eld transforms him into an en-
tirely different person. He knows no
friends there. The world Is his foe,
and his hand Is raised against the uni
verse. No close decision by an UNI
pire is in his mind fair, honest or right
unless 1t favors his club. And his pol
icy is to denounce the official in words
which seethe as well as to heap op-
probrium upon the players of the op-
\ pesite side. d ~
What result this official recognition
by the league of Mr.. Tebeau's peculiar
methods will have cannot be definitely
foretold. It-is likely, however, to be
efflcacfous, not only in it's direct ap-
plication. but as caution to many
others who were studying the Tebeau-
nian methods and following most dam
gerously close to his lines True. Mr..
Robinson, who owns the Cleveland
club, hurled defiance at the league d.
rectors and In the first moments of
his resentment declared that the fine
would not be paid, and that Mr.. Te-
beau would play right along as usual.
1t Is well that he had ten days in
which to cool of and simmer down to
proper appreciation Of the situation.
The decision Of the National league
directors In the Rusie case, as made at
Pittsburg, is consistent with all the
past policy Of that body, which has In
vartably stood soiidly with it's clubs
for the maintenance Of discipline.
Without the strongest kind Of disci-
pline In the teams baseball would lose
public confidence and as q consequence
public support also. The fines imposed
by the New Ycrk club upon Rusie last
year may have been technically irreg-
uiar or excessive in their individual
application. but the big pitchers iapses
were shown to be 80 frequent that the
directors waived technicality In the
main issue. Rusie now declares he will
GO into the courts for redress. The
courts would probably deal with ques-
ton Of Anes In a strictly legal light
and he would thsrsfers get verdict