The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-23
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thing as players consent, nor is there
| such thing as reservation.
The details of all this exist in my brain
| as presume it does in yours, Mr.. Soden,:
| and Mr.. RobiSon'S, and is susceptible OF
being worked out just as effectively ant
| admirably as it is by the Jockey club
| NY engagements ar such, and nave been
| that could not give this sufficient atten
| tion to draft the form, but expect to d.
| SO if the league is not convened too ear
| ly. I will send copy of this letter tt
| Messrs. Soden and Robson anu no one
| eIse because we were the only ones Wht
/ discussed the matter, and would be giae
| to receive your views with reference te
| it, for imagine that whatever we agree
| upon we can very likely make effective
| and in a matter of this kind it is policy
not to take any chances of publicity until
| the plan is matured and fully approved
| by each of us.
In order to fully understand and appre-
ciate the deadlock in the National league
| and the fierce contention over the prasi-
| dency, treated of in the detailed repors
| of the annual meeting, it is necessary TO
| describe the principal cause of that IN
| fortunate condition. This was trust
| scheme, evolved by John T. Brush with
| the assistance and approval OF Andrew
Freedman, and sought to be damned
through at any cost. Following is de-
scription of the elaborate and SrasplBg
scheme and of the causes Of its defeat:
The Trust scheme.
It is believed-and eircumstantia1 evil
| dence warrants the belief-that Mr..
Brush, of the Cincinnati club, after the
reduction of the National league cireait
in 1899, conceived the idea of recognizing
the National on a pool or trust basis
| when-as he then believed and still he
lieves-the National league should ois-
solve by reason Of the expiration IF the
ten-year Indianapolis agreement. lie
worked at the details of his scheme, ard
year ago presented the idea to Two OF
his colleagues, Messrs. Freedman and
Soden, who thought well OF it. Sir. Freed
| man thought so we'll of it, indeed that
he collaborated in the working cut OF
the details, and it is probable that he
| was the man who was TO finance it. the
trio also agreed on scheme to secure
it's adoption Hence the Red Bank con-
ferenceS
Brush's plan was to organize huge
corporation under perpetual New Jersey
charter, which was to be elastic enough
to enable the company to do almost
anything under the sun. The capital was
to reach into the millions, divided into
common and preferred stock. AS usual,
the latter was to have fixed dividend,
while the common stock was to- be ailot-
ed among the purchasers Of the preferred
stock which were to be the National
league clubs in about this proportions:
New York, 80 per cent; Cincinnati, u
per cent st. Louis, II per cent; Boston,
- per cent; Chicago, 10 per cent; Phila-
delphia, 10 per cent; Pittsburg, per cent,
and Brooklyn per cent In other words
the division would be such that three men
the New York, Cincinnati and st. Louis
agnates-would absolutely control and
run the trust as they willed.
The scope of the Brush trust was as
wide as the horizon. 1t was designed
after swallowing the National league to
absorb by purchase or otherwise the
! American league, to own and operate all
minor leagues, to perpetually enslave
all ballplayers, to manufacture sporting
goods and baseballs, to assume juris-
diction over all other professional sports,
including even horse racing, and to ac-
quire property wherever it saw fit. The
huge corporation was to be managed by
a board of regents, compose Of five
league magnates, with president treas
urer and secretary, at salaries running
from s12,5OO to $4,000 per annum. All
baseball clubs were to be run by mana
gers appointed by this board, while ball
| players were to be held under a system
| of licensing, and to be apportioned and
| disciplined by this board at will thus
! making the players mere machines with
out fealty to or interest in localities or
| clubs.
| The Schemers, Work.
| Believing that the league would expire
| Dec. 10, by limitation, the three .rust
| promoters calculated that if they could
| make two more of lhe league magltatcS
party to the scheme, they could prevent
| league reorganization, except under this
| scheme, they set to work to capture the
necessary people, While the other mag
mates were kept in ignorance of the stu.
pendous plan. Soden was confidently
| counted upon, as he had expressed himself
| much impressed 1t was also expected tC
| get Dreyfuss into line at the proper time
| Meantime all summer and fall everything
was being shaped up. An attempt was
| made to wreck the American league il
midseason, so as to clear away all OPPOSE
| ton. Later the National agreement was
! abrogated, so as to stampede the minor
leagues and leave them at the mercy OF
| the trust organizers. In line with this
| also was the edict against engaging
| jumping players, thus preventing certain
obnoxious magnates from Strengthening
their clubs, and thereby lessening then
value in the apportionment of stock
How 1t was Blocked.
But, carefully though the scheme was
| worked out, it met with unexpected OBJ.
stacIes in every direction, largely because
| of a secret, powerful, adverse force-.he
! hidden hand of A. G. Spalding. And &c
Spalding and Dreyfuss the national game
! owes it's delverance from the greatest
peril that ever menaced it. The plot &c
| wreck the American league failed large
| ly because Spalding eounteraeted it
| The effect of the national agreement
| abrogation was nullified by the prompt
| organization of the minor leagues into
| an independent organization, under the
| leadership of Spalding's close friend, Mr..
| P. T. Powers. 1t was this gentleman,
| too, who also dealt the new American
| association, in which Brush's friend,
| Watkins, is such large factor, a heavy
| blow, and thus prevented it from div1d-
| ing and breaking down the National
| association of minor leagues. Finally,
| Dreyfuss drove big nail into the coffin
| of the trust plan by refusing to enter
| into the combine. although visited in
| Pittsburg week before the league meet
| ing and pleaded with for three days by
! Brush.
spaIding's Counter Work.
| But the biggest nail was driven by
I Spalding-who in some way. even yet
| a mystery to the trust combine, had Sc
cured all the details of the scheme-by