The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29

have decreed that Cooley must play where
they decide, and for such sum as they may
! determine.
Last year Cooley received in the neigh
! borhood of 81. 400. This year the owners
Of the Philadelphia club offer him sl,20v
| and in cold blood tell him that he must
accept that sum or go into retirement
If man is sandbagged in the streets
/ he has some legal redress But here we
have a reputable. law abiding citizen. who
| has committed no offence against society,
who is being held UP for une-half OF his
| salary. and is even denied voice in the
selection OF the city where he may follow
his vocation If the monopolistic League
, can hold up one man. and deprive him OF
| the means of earning his bread and butter,
| what is to stop il from holding up al the
! PLAYERS OF the League If ii can deliber-
| ateIy deprive a man OF one-hait his earn
| ing capacity. what is there TO prevent them
| from deprlving him of as much again, and
! compelling him to feed himself in the bar
/ gain? -
This is a question In which every man
who works for his living in Philadelphia
has a vital interest Cooley iis5not on a
strike. He is simply exercising his right
to protest against the most high handed
, outrage ever thought of. He is not try
ing to force himself on the Philadelphia
ball club. All he is asking is the privilege
10 earning an honest living. This is denied
him. There is much In this over which
the working .uen of this city should ponder.
1t establishes a dangerous precedent. Let
them put then-~al.es in Coolies place.
Then. think and thinking think again.
"Messrs Reach AMI Rogers have grown
wealthy out Of the zane of baseball as
exploited by men lii.e Cooley. Their plant
al Broad and Huntington is WORT upward
of s5CO, O0O-all out of an original cash cap
italization of S15, 600. Dick Cooley has no
capital beyond that OF his capacity as a
ball player. Last year that capacity was
worth to him s. 100; this gear. by a nod
of Messrs Reach and Rogers, its worth
has been cut in two.
This is an object lesson which should be
carefully considered BY the workingmen of
Philadelphia. And it won't do to say that
IL is all even because Messrs Reach and
Rogers can have their ice this summer.
while Cooley get his next winter
Charlie Comiskey has dubbed his Chi
cage aggregation of ball players The
White Stockings. the name that attached
to the famous old organization in the
balcyon days Of Arson. These new White
Stockings" have already engrafted them
selves into the affections of Chicago fans.
Comiskey's team is strong one. With
Hoy. Padden. and Dowd he has three stars.
In Isbell he has star twlrler and one
of the hardest hitting pitchers in the
League AS things now look to the Chi
cago public. the time is not far distant
when Comiskey, and not Jim Hart, will
be Tt in Chicago baseball circles.
The uncertainty of Rusie's return to
the New York club may make it neccs-
sary for Ewing TO place Mercer on the
pitching staff. The attempt to settle the
Rusie divorce case out of court having
failed, the case viii now be taken up in
court and disposed of. as Mrs. Rusie has
announced that she will prosecute the suit
to finish. The court has ordered Rusie
20 pay to his wife 800 on or before May
l. and s25 per week until the case is dis
posed of AS Rusie has shown by afl-
davit that he has no property or income.
and is not now under salary, he may find
it difficult to comply with the order OF
the court.