Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-19
BASEBALL BREEzES.
spalding Seems to Still Have the Whip
 Hand

II ! Hand.
 New York, Dec 19.-Judging from the remarks of Frank De Hass Rob- ison yesterday, professional base ball will be tangled up in the courts for some time to come and even the play ing season may be interefered with. Robison said that the legal proceed | ings in part one of the supreme court of New York county before Justice i Scott to-day to determine the legality of A. G. Spalding's election to the presidency of the Natina1 league would begin long fight of this nature in- volving damage suits on the ground of conspiracy.
 Ut is pretty broad statement 10 make said Robison, when man ue- clares publicly that he intends to drive somebody out of business. and follows it up with a plan to carry the threat into effect. The laws Of the United States will protect anybody. whether rich or poor, against conspiracy o1 | this kind. It looks to me as if Spald- ing all the way through has been con- spring against certain clubs and their l V, cent movements and q remark he made to me last March, urging me on no ac- count to compromise matters with Ban l Johnson and the American league.
 'I'll admit that the formation of q | twelve-club league on the Spalding plan, with an alliance between such an organization and the minor leagues, with the Players Protective associa- ton on the side, would prove pretty powerful combination, but I want to say that I believe such plan improb- able because measures will be resort 1 ed to by which the Brooklyn, Pitts burg, Chicago and Philadelphia clubs would be restrained from withdrawing | from the National league. It is true that the National league is not cor poration and that it does not own a charter. It is q combination of busi- ness interests governed by constitu- | ton. To me it seems improbable that the courts would permit the opposition | to engage i'll a scheme to injure the | business of the remaining clubs"
 ''Is there anything to prevent a club from resigning from the National league, in accordance with the provis- ion for such action in the constitu- ton? was asked.
 'T believe some such action can be taken," was the reply of Robison,. who would not admit that there was no law 1 that compels q partner to remain a member of a firm if he is not bound l by contract. '.Whatever moves are made by the enemy,'' Robison contin- ued, ..the public can rest assured that ] the courts will decide everything. There will be a tangle that may tie up the game itself. Spalding evidently showed his cards to those clubs that are standing by him, for they would not have stuck under other circum- I stances. I wish it to be understood that the New York, Boston, Cincinnati I and St Louis clubs have done nothing to injure the dear old National league They have been doing their best to perpetuate it. They did not advocate trust. It was not trust at all, and when the details are made known at the proper time the public will appre- ciate the stand we have taken. The outline of our scheme as given to the public by the Spalding faction was not in accordance with the facts"
 ''Then why did you decline to make the true facts in the case public?' was asked.
 The time was not ripe" was the reply, "but some day it will all come out. So will Spalding's motives.'' Freedman stated yesterday that he was going right on with the business of the National league, that he had not l heard from Ban Johnson and was not worrying about the Spalding reorgan- ization plan. In an interview given out by Johnson in Chicago yesterday he said that the present New York club was so high i'll the air that he could not see it through q Lick tel escope. He also made the statement that by taking Davis. Hickman. Sel- bach and Warner from the New Works that team had been seriously crippled. Johnson refused to discuss the twelve club league, but said that Spalding's predominance in the National league meant ultimate peace in the base ball worlta
 Now let Secretary O'Rourke call meeting of the State league directors right away and have this circuit mat ] ter gone over again. Let that meet ing not only include the present. mefn- Dership, but let Bristol and Derby, the two deposed clubs, be invited to send i delegates. Let the whole field be gone over again. for the past week has thrown lot of new light on the sub- ject. It is conceded DOW that Hart ford's representative misrepresented Hartford in his vote that threw out Bristol and Derby. Hartford should De placed right in this matter and not have it's interests jeopardized by a thoughtlessly given vote. As the league is now composed the vote stands ; to against Bristol. the only towns that could be counted on to favor 1t being Meriden. Hartford and New London. It looks as if the ten club league Is the only fair way out of the present unpleasant situation. Why not try it for year and next season If Ii Is not success drop the two poor est paying towns and make up an eight-clHh league?- -Meriden Journal
 There Is nothing new. in the fulmiu. ations from Bristol. the people in
 the Bell town are hugging themselves
 With the thought that at the next
 meeting they will get the last action of
 he league rescinded and be back aeain
 ln the league. But they will pnt q pin right here. Bristol will no4 la