Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-08
National League to Get Together in
a Few Days
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
May G ant. Concessions Asked
for by the Players.
GENERAL SPORTING NEWS

There is every reason to believe that the
National League will hold another secret
session within a day or two. Many of the
magnates thing the American League and
the players have held the center Of the
stage long enough.
The National League held secret ses-
sion in New York about a month ago, at
which the principal business was to talk
over the ways and means of getting Johnny
McGraw to desert the American League.
Failing in that the magnate drew up Frank
De Haas Robison's famous futile attack
on the Baltimore manager.
Now the league magnates must consider
the attitude of the Players Protective As
ISOLATION and take action thereon and also
the playing schedule.
President Charles thinner of the Players
Protective Association recently sent a let
ter to each Of the magnates. conveying the
action of the players at the Cleveland meet
ing. Clark Griffith. the Chicago twirler and
a leader among the players, is quoted as
saying:
The members of our union have all prom
ised to stick together and we will not sign
contracts until our demands are granted.
At the Cleveland meeting forty-seven mem
bers answered roll call, and all declared
their loyalty. Besides, letters were received
from nearly all the others saying they were
with the movement to a finish and would
never give in
Attitude of Magnates.
1t is now understood that assurances have
been received from five of the eight presi-
dents of National League clubs that they
are willing to meet committee of the play
ers in consultation at the next meeting of
the organization. to be held in New York
city. The magnates insist, however, that
they will not consider any business to be
transacted through a third person. What
ever the players desire they must make
known personally by committee of their
association and not through the medium of
a lawyer. The magnates insist that there
Is absolutely no necessity for calling in
legal interference, and, furthermore add
that they do not propose. under any cir
cumstances. to be coerced into granting
anything that will shake the stability Of
their property rights.
1t is probable in the event of conference
being held that the league magnates will
consent to abolish the farming plan. as the
American League has done. and will agree
not to transfer players without their con-
sent. There Is no reason to believe that
any alteration of consequence will be made
In the reserve rule, to which the smaller
cities tenaciously cling, as it permits them
to retain an equality of playing strength
as compared with the large cities
This outline of probable action is given
on authority and clearly demonstrates that
the major league magnates have not come
to q realizing point of the situation. What
they will do or not do, matters little. If
they want to retain their organization in
compact form, they will have to give their
players what they want or lose fully one
half of them. AS to the position taken by
the league that they will not treat with the
legal adviser of the players association, If
this stand is maintained 1t is more than
probable that there will be no conference
as resolution was passed at the Cleve-
I.,,I r.
ganzation to stand by Lawyer Taylor In
the expected negotiations.