New-York tribune., 1901-12-15
SPALDING IN CONTROL.
PROMISES THOROUGH BASEBALL RE
ORGANIZATION
FREEDMAN ATTACKS MAN WHO WILL
DRIVE HIM FROM THE LEAGUE
COMMITTEES APPOINTED.

Avenue Hotel yesterday no man Coolu soy
whether or not the once great orgahizatioh u
baseball had an actual existence 1t no"
mains for A G. Spalding, the new president 10
bring together he warring factions III pdoe-
hall. Whether he can do this time alone VIII
tell.
! sunnorting the new president and determined
tn go on as the National League, are the owners
! of the Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Brooklyn anu
/ Chicago clubs. Arrayed on the other slde' op-
! posing Mr. Spalding tooth and nail ana laVorlls
| a trust in baseball, are the propr1etors OF the
Boston, New-York, St Louis ana Cl1cllii@u
franchises.
With Mr. Spalding in the chair the National
/ League held the last session of its five day
meeting at the Fifth Avenue Hotel yesterday.
Z Brush Soden. Robson and Freedman were not
present. A quorum was declared after cleVer
parliamentary ruling by the new president MI
Freedman had sent his secretary +. M
Knowles, to watch things. When the meetlng
was called Mr. Knowles cautiously approached
the door and peered in. Quick as nash MT
KnowIes's name was called. AS there were four
other clubs represented, Mr. Spalding ruled that
/ New-York should be counted as present thereby
making a Quorum The members then proceeded
to business
The first order of business was the eiecuon
of new board of directors. The electlon re-
suited in the selection of Ebbets, OF BROOKLYN
Soden of Boston; Hart, of Chicago ana brey-
fuss. of Pittsburg The following board of arbl-
traton was then elected: Spaldlng' 1ouls'
soden, Hart. ROBBERS and Pullam President
/ snalding appointed the following committees:
/ Constitution Rogers Hart and Brush; hatlohdl
/ agreement Hart, Brush and Rogers PidSiils
rules Hart Hanlon and Reach.
/ The league placed the question of a playing
] schedule in the hands of President 0paolhs
! with full power to act as he saw mt
! NTr Snail
unanimously decided to invite all the reporters
/ TO all future meetings Of the organization After
Mr. SpaIding's platform had been presented anu
approved by the magnates the meeting was ao-
journed subject to the call of the chalr' anu
word was sent to the newspaper men TO come 10
the meeting room.
An attack on Mr.. spaldng made in
statement given out at the Democratic Club last
evening by Andrew Freedman. Parts of the
statement follow:
Mr. spading states as his reason for appearhhg pea h
the committee of the National LSasqe Jn 1l4t ie
baseball trust. There can be no mistake about Mr.,
copy Of an agreemen Mr. spadiag att a5emDted 20
for trust fashioned after the bicycle trust. This
document is fashioned after forms of an agreement
6y Wach ne aGd Mr. Hart does rot deny that
he attempted to secure the sigma OF me SaIps
and would develop some sort Of trust
lowing:
which is hereby acknowledged. We will cell to you
property, of said company. except cash on hand
and bills and accounts receivable above reierr ed
pavs6e 1o a a m cash upon delivery of said capital stock
business of said company VII pc kePI as 3 + ''be
concern. and that no material changes VIII, VIII De
conditions OF said company without your knowledge
and consent.
The Freedman statement ended as follows:
No act or action of Mr. spaldine's private league
and when other clubs feel they care TO participate,
such action viii be taken that will remove from
standing clubs who were not considered eligible to
a proposition in which they were vita,ly
Interested and the amount OF adyeT5Si9g f Nh, Mr.
though altogether pleasing. The New,York
club is not Worrying over over M spaidi1g ,i gs
and proper place.
! It was said last night that conference Of the
I Brush Freedman forces would be held at Mr.
Freedman's place in Red Bank to-day.
| The Spalding forces were apparently much
pleased with the way things had shaped them
selves They confident that they had the
! better of the situation, and that the Brush
! Freedman crowd was on the
Mr. Spalding last ening announced that duly
! accredited newspaper were to be admitted
| at future meetings of the National League. He
| gave out platform for raising the tone of the
! game. In reply to the Freedman statement, Mr.
! Spalding said:
AS have previously declared. Andrew Freedman Inn
| know how put him out Either he or | must go
| Against mis- abomnable fve-year record III natch
one of thirty-fve years and let the public choose
! in a bad way, and that something had TO be done
! suggested that some of the old timers pc ;o GOT
| cash options were TO be got on league CLUBS; Inc
troiied by Capital in the city which the club
| from.
Meetings were arranged between myself Brush
and Robson A proposition was made to BUY up
| some of the American League clubs This re-
| fused to do My motive in the whole pr0ceeding
was to try to get Freedman out OF oaSeoa!l. pc
club at any reasonable figure could find men VINO
would buy. wanted to get FTeeaman mar Out OUT by nom m
| came when those men got together at bed Bank
and abrogated the national agreemept Some tine
rectors of the New-York club
Mr spalding declared that he had refused to
invest a dollar in the proposed option scheme,
and had refused to take dollar out of it. He
added:
was doing it for the good of the dear old game.
| I want TO say right here that the new president
viii not accept any salary in connection with the
job am doing this to help along paseoail
| would like know why Freedman soaked the
league $4,000 for the rent OF Manhattan Fied TINS
| year Why were not the college games played at
Manhattan Field instead Of the Polo Grouncs?
VIII the Cincinnati club be included in the
schedule of games?" was asked.
That I cannot answer l really do not know.
! Time alone will decide"
| Urged for a statement to what attitude the
National League would assume toward the
American League Mr.. Spalding said:
That matter cannot be decided offhand- 1t will
receive Immediate attention. 1 favor one great
| baseball family-an organization that will take in
| the National American and minor leaSues-and,