The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-30
The Rashness of Secretary Long.

The Rashness of Secretary Long.
Secretary Long durins-the past week,
did thing which his most devoted adj
mirers must consider somewhat rash, and
it should be noted and discussed with
becoming gravity in order that it may
not serve as a precedent. He undertook
to act as umpire at a baseball game
played at bingham, Mass. his home 1t
is true that one of the teams was made
up of lawyers and the other of clergy
men and physicians, but even SO. the
experiment was a risky one. Men are
not always accountable for what they do
when playing baseball, even IL they be
amateurs and respected citizens. And
the Secretary had not acted as an umpire
for twenty years or more.
1t is generally admitted that the po-
sition of umpire at a ball game is a
somewhat delicate and dangerous one.
II calls tor much tact, great knowledge
of the game and of human nature, and
sometimes considerable pugllistic abill-
ty. 1t is not evident that Secretary
Long possesses any of these qualities
in that superabundance which would war
rant his undertaking SO difficult and per-
ilous a task. Yet with the readiness to
assume responsibility which is ever foun1
in members of the Mckinley Cabinet. hi
rashly accepted the post and has not
since been heard from. 1t is hoped. how
ever, that all is we'll. bingham is a
posed of respectable. elderly, and not
very athletic men, who had not played
baseball. probably, since boyhood. so
that they could not with assurance chal-
lenge the secretary's decisions.
Nevertheless. Mr.. Long should not so
lightly have risked life and limb in the
effort to win the esteem of the people
of bingham. 1t is to be hoped that this
will not suggest to other members of
the Administration the idea of umpiring
games in other parts of the country.
played by teams accustomed to handling
unpires in the-traditional fashion. II
Mr.. Hanna should try to serve in this
capacity at a game played by the Penn
sylyania coal miners and their employ
ers, he might get hurt, and his useful
ness in the campaign be impaired. IL
hOulH AOl dAI " Vi
in Pennsylvania; far from ii. Yet there
is reason to fear that in the buoyant
confidence and trustfulness IN human ma
ture. which is so characteristic of the
man. he may offer to do exactly this
thing, and it is always painful to stand
by and see fellow being lose his trust
in mankind. The chances are that when
Mr.. Hanna got half through the game
his faith in his own tact and executive
ability, and the docility and trust of his
feIiowmen, would be SO shattered that
he would want to go home and cry.
No; there is one American institution
which cannot be touched by the hand OF
the tyro without trouble. President NJ
Kinley> may march undaunted into the
midst of group Of experienced diplo-
mats, versed in all the traditions of Eu-
ropean courts, and show them how to do
things; Mr.. Day may undertake 10 teach
international law to the world in general,
and Roosevelt the Rough Rider may try
to bully lot OF regular soldiers who
have been fighting Indians for he last
ten or fifteen years, but IL any one of
these gentlemen undertakes to fool with
a baseball game there will be a fuss.