Evening star., 1900-08-18
FAULTS OF THE MAGNATES
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RAPID DE-
CLINE OF BASE BALL.
Interest in the National Game Weak
ened Through Petty Quarrels
of Club Owners.

Frank Hough, the sporting editor Of the
Philadelphia Inquirer, the other day an
swered query as to what is wrong with
base BALI by the following terrific but
truthful arraignment of the men, mainly,
if not entirely, responsible for the decline
of the national game. He said:
"There will be some powerful doins' in
a base ball way between now and the open
ing of the next season. Everything points
that way. The magnates are up in the air.
and they cannot conceal the fact They are
now reaping the crop of trouble sown by
their own rapacity, their un-American and
unsportsmanlike tactics. By virtue Of the
most despotic compact ever conceived they
have arrogated to themselves powers which
make the Czar of all the Russas look like
a lobster. That they believe they own the
players body and soul was shown in the in
famous Cooley case. That was probably
the most fragrant usurpation of power of
which we have any knowledge, although
there have been others almost bad. AS
is always the case with those who delight
in brutally exercising the right of might.
the magnates are ours at the bottom. They
lie mind they would not have a chance on
earth to successfully buck against rival
organization.
Showing Their Hands.
Previous to 1890 the methods were not
so well known as they are now. But the
defeat of the Brotherhood and the absorp-
ton of the American Association by rea-
son Of the asinine indianapolis amalgama-
ton, led them to believe that the entire
base ball world was theirs. Instead of
welding the undoubtedly great power con-
veyed by the Indianapolis deal with view
of making the game more attractive to the
mo fbap hafpr thew
only as vehicle to vent their spite and to
line their own purses. 1t was a case of self
first and the game afterward. Every move
made was meant to tighten the hold they
already had After legfslatipg to themselves
everything in sight. these, amiable mag
mates began skinning each other, the big
fish naturally gobblipg UP the smaller fry.
With the smaller fry out of the way, the
until. as Gus Abel of Brooklyn declared at
the last meeting, he did not feel safe In at
tending league meeting until he had first
deposited his valuabies inf the hotel safe.
sure. but Mr.. Abel should know, for his
declaration was based. on mine years OBJ
servation. -.
Grabbing for the Dollar.
with a fatuousness that would be as
tonishing in men engaged In any other walk
in life, these magnates deluded themselves
with the idea that the public would never
get on to their tactics, and for several
years they had a right to think that way.
But in time 1t was made apparent to even
the most casual observer that base ball as
a sport was playing second fiddle to base
ball as a business. At the fall meetings the
national game as sport was rarely If ever
discussed: instead the factions would con-
sumo days In devtsing schemes to do the
others. AS an instance Of this 1t will only
be necessary to recall the despicable trick
played on the Louisville Club in the mat
ter of the schedule in '9s. and Jim Hart's
contemplate boast that 1t was done with
malice aforethought. This was so coward
ly and unsportsmanlike that even some Of
the leather-stomached magnates protested.
but Hart and Brush cracked the whip, and
Dreyfuss was punished. despite the pro-
tests.
The Crawl to Freedman.
"Then there was the Freedman business.
The ruling clique started in not ony to do
Dreyfuss, but Freedman and our own Col.
John I. Rogers. as well. So sore was Hart
at both Dreyfuss and Freedman that he
openly deplored the fact that there was no
Devils Isle in this country, and John T.
Brush. In a carefully prepared statement,
referred to the colonel as cheap Philadel-
phia lawyer At letter writing. however,
John 1. has John T. skinned, and he got
back at the indianapolis cheap clo' man in
great shape. Naturally. you would expect
that when any number of men threw. the
harpoon into each other in that fashion they
would be forever after enemies to the death.
But not so with the magnates. In their de-
size to do the other fellow first they sink
all those little pleasantries. So Jim and the
formed an offensive and defensive alliance
for the advancement of their own base ball
interests.
Vain Abasement.
CAS- a result they toadied to Mr.. Freed
man in way that was nauseating to those
who recalled the way they had roasted him
only twelve-month before. To Mr. Freed
mans credit be it said. he sized up these
proffers Of friendship at their true worth.
He did not give the slightest sign Of reeed-
ing from his origin position. and. for that
matter. he has yet to give the sign that he
is going to be good fellow. He got, every
thing. almost. that he asked for, and i'm
blood boil in the veins.of any man Of sport
Ing instincts. For once the schemers had
stacked up against man who was not to be
won by the cajolery Of the smooth men or
In Another Mess.
I'm taking up Mr,eFrsAdman. however.
the ruling spirits necessarily had to throw
some one else down. -And-the man selected
was none other than mn ;Xbell. whom they
had used to play against Mr. Freedman the
year before, when he made the combination
was given one of the fastest teams ever put
together r. Though it Kon the championship
purpose desired. ThH New York cranks
would not go to the BieohAyn grounds, and
the home cranks did not show any DISPOSE
tion to turn out in apyrgrsat numbers. Then
1t was that Mr.. Abell who had been hand
in-glove apparently with the big wigs. was
compelled to feel their .displeasure. When
he got through with the meeting at which
he expressed his opinion of his fellow-mag-
mates. as given above. the only thing he had
left was his franchise and players and he
would have doubtless lost them IL there had.
been any way by which it could have been
legally done. But, just the same. the league
means to get rid of Brooklyn If 1t can be
done without making an opening for an
other association. Either Brooklyn will be
ousted and Washington taken In or there
Will be temporary return to the twelve
club monstrosity next season.
Between the Players Protective Associa-
ton. the possibility of a rival organization,
the decline In business caused by their own
inordinate capacity for blundering. the
league magnates are Just now having their
own troubles. And who will say that they
do not deserve them?n
1t pays to read the want coiumns of The