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 $1,29u
! and in cold blood tell him that he must
! accept that sum or 20 into retirement.
! If a 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-halt OF his
salary. and is even denied voice in the
| selection Of the city where be may folio"
| his vocation If the monOpoistir League
! can hold up one man. and deprive him OF
| the means of earning his bread and butter.
what is to stop it from holding up all the
! PLAYERS Of the League? If il can deliber-
ateIv deprive d man OF oue-hadf his earn
| ing CAPACITY. what is there to prevent them
| from depriving him of as much again, and
compelling him TO feed himself iH the bar
| gain2
This is a question In which every man
| who works for his living in Philadelphia
has vital interest Cooley is not on d
strike He is Simply exercising his right
to protest against the most high banded
, outrage ever thought Of He IS not try
ball club All he is asking is the privilege
to earning an honest living. This is denied
him There is much in this over which
the vorkingmen Of this city should ponder
il establishes a dangerous precedent. Let
them put themselves in Cooley place.
Then think. and thinking. think again.
'.Messrs Reach and Rogers have grown
wealthy out Of the game of baseball as
exploited by men like Cooley. Their plant
al Broad and Huntingdon is worth upward
Of $500 000-al out of an original cash cap
italization Of $4,000. Dick Cooley has no
capital beyond that Of his capacity as
ball player. Last year that capacity was
worth to him s. 400; this year. by 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 do to say that
II is all even because Messrs. Reach and
Rogers can have their ice this summer.
while Cooley can get his next winter
Charlie Comiskey has dubbed his Chi
cago aggregation Of ball players The
White Stockings, the name that attached
to the famous old organization in the
halcyon days Of Arson. These new White
Stockings" have already engrafted them
selves INTO the aUttllbuS Oh Nil'aSb idIlS-
Comiskey's team is a strong one With
Hoy. Padden and Dowd he mas three stars.
In Isbel he has a star tWIrler and one
Of the hardest hitting pitchers in the
League As things now look 10 the Chi
cago public. the time is not far distant
when Comiskey, and not Jim Hart. will
be 1t in Chicago baseball crcIe-
The uncertainty Of Rusie's return TO
the New York club may make it nerss
sary for Ewing to place Mercer on the
pitching sta1. 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 d finish. The court has ordered Rusie
to pay to his wife 800 on or before May
l. and 81 per week until the case is dis
posed Of. As Rusie has shown by aff
davit hat he has no property or income
and is not now under salary. he may find
il difficult to comply with the order OF
the court.
Jimmy NIrAleer who is nauIgfuv he