The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-15
National League Now Seems
Hopelessly Divided-New Presi-
dent Outlines His Policy.
COMMITTEES ARE APPOINTED.
Spalding Still Insists That Freed
man Must GO-Other Mag
mates Still Cling to Nick
Young.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
New York. Dec. ii.-For the present. at
least. the National League of, Baseball
Clubs is hcpelessly divided into two sections
OF four clubs each. Both sides are strenu-
Gus in affirming that an amicable settlement
Is sure TO be reached before the playing sea-
son begins and in the meantime the rival
American League has the field its own way.
Messrs. Freedman of New York, Robson
OF St Louis, Soden of Boston and Brush
OF Cincinnati refuse TO recognize the legal
lily OF the election of A. G. Spalding. and
maintain that n. E. Young is still president.
secretary and treasurer of the organization.
They declined to attend the meeting to-day.
At 2 o'clock this afternoon MessrS Eb-
bets. Abel and Hanlon. representing Brook
lyn: Reach and Rogers of Philadelphia.
Hart OF Chicago and Drevfuss and Pulliam
OF Pittsburg. went into session at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. with Il. G. Spalding. who
had been declared elected president by their
votes. present in the room. Colonel John !.
Rogers acted as temporary chairman. He
introduced Mr.. Spalding as president of the
National League and the latter Immediately
took the chair.
A quorum was obtained by an odd par
liamentary ruling by the new president.
Mr.. Friedman had sent his secretary. F.
NJ Knowles. to watch matters. When the
meeting was called Mr.. Knowles APP
preached the door and peered in. Quick as
a flash his name was called. There were
four other clubs represented. and Mr..
Spalding ruled that New York be counted
as present. thereby making a quorum The
magnates then proceeded to business.
The delegates present elected a Board of
Directors consisting Of Brooklyn. Boston.
Chicago and Pittsburg for the year 1902
President Spalding appointed the following
committees: ConstitutioA-Mess-s. Rogers,
Hart and Brush. National Agreement
Messrs. Brush. Hart and Rogers. Playing
Rules-Messrs. Hart. Hanlon and Reach.
The following Board Of Arbitration was
elected: Messrs. spalding. Young. Soden,
Hart. Rogers and Pulliam.
President Spalding was given full power
to prepare the playing schedule fer the sea-
son of 1902 1t was unanimously agreed
that duly accredited representatives of the
press should be invited to all meetings of
tne League. AT the conclusion Of the exec
utive session the room was thrown open
ana the meeting was made public, reporters
pe'hg admitted to hear a few remarks from
Mr.. Spalding.
fiafform spaldine stands On.
ne began by stating that he had pre-
pared a Platform upon which he proposed
% TO s'a paom ana f II read as follows:
A.. AoStcE. Giev6lG and DerDoty1f ia
the game Of baseball the national tisiS
SPOT OF America. : : leu
r. eliminate an. OBJECTIONABLE features
the sport. 4A
To inculcate in the governors of the
e ny ,oineials. umr:res. players and
every one interested in or connected with
tnis national sport 4 realization of what
Lue sportsmanship is. and to subordinate
the financial side of the game.
10 establish a central governing hodv In
WniGh all professional baseball Interests
snaI bs properly represented. This BODY to
effect these and other objects thar fepd ~
MAINTAIN the integrity and high STANDARD
OF the game.
nave been reading up Tom Reeds rulings
and when Mr.. Knowles. secretary Of the
New York club. came to our door i counted
MN as present, declared We had a quorum
and appointed our committees. want .n
announce right now that i am going to he
the boss of this league. I told these gem
,emen Wnen l accepted this office that I
proposed TO regulate affairs to suit myself.
and that they would be governed by one
man power. 1t is different in the Boston
etu9; where one man votes. one sits in the
Il made an announcement TO you YES
terday that Andrew Freedman should get
out OF the game. and l am still of tina.
Either Freedman gets out or I go. Just how
1t Is going to be accomplished I am not
going to say, but am going to take a
Mr.. Spalding intimated that a move was
on foot three years ago to get Freedman
out Of the New York club, and that il was
blocked. In regard to the trust plan which
II had been alleged he furthered. Mr.. Spald-
ing said that last summer. coming to the
conclusion that a change of owners might
help baseball as well as a change of play
ers often does. he had proposed a plan TO
get options on the clubs.
The object .ss s Tas to- loesiize the
ting the st. Louis franchise out Of the
/ hands of the Cleveland owners hands, for
instance, and placing it in the hands of
Hart and Brush seemed to favor 1t. An eff
fort would have been made to buy some of
the American League clubs. but the whole
said Spalding. "as much as anything else
to rid the League of Freedman" )
In Favor Of Harmony.
So far as the membership of the Nation
al League is concerned. Mr.. Spalding said
1 When ne asked eali if " Ginci nD fS might sf be In y.
replied that he was not answering hypo.
| thetical questions. He takes the Office alb.
soiutely without salary. and Is not in favor
Of long-term contracts with anything.
IT expect said he. ito work along the
line of the national agreement. and hope
in n time time to chanEe the basis sis Of government
League and the players will be working to-
gether in armony want the players rep
resented on the boards"
1it0i tHV A<arot n HSNs hAAA
Freedman. speaking for the four clubs not
represented. said:. I'VE do not consider the
election of Saturday morning or the meet
ing of Saturday afternoon as legal. Mr.. n.
E Young is still the head of the National
League.
Ten years ago he secured the contract to
furnish baseballs that cost 20 cents each to
the National League for ten years at the
price Of $l25 each. His interest suddenly
ceased in baseball until he found another
opportunity for a contract. It was 4. G.
Spalding who precipitated the Brotherhood
war by reason of his actions when serving
on a committee representing the National
League at that time.
Mr.. Spalding has been secretly in cor
respondence with Ban johnson and other
members Of the American League. though
advising National League men to fight
| johnson to the death"
BOBBY wALTHouR WINS.
Reeor Was Not Broken in Six.Day