Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-16
! THE DIAMOND E


According to the Cleveland Plaindeal-
er. Joe Kelley, of Brooklyn seemed to be
the only representative of the National
League present at the meeting of the
players on Saturday, although it has
been limited that the old time league
would send num- er of wolves in sleeps
clothing to the meeting. Kelley tried
to show the players how they were maxi
ing big mistake by deserving an "old
and esta blished" institution for a fungus
growth, just because they could die
tate To the latter ihe delegates prompt
~ announced that debating was not in
their line OF business. AS one of them
stated
Justice is all we want, and we do not
care who dictates the terms"
Kelley was answered in a brief ad-
dress by a stanch member of the Play
ers' association, whose identity could not
he determined from the sound of his
voice two rooms away and through no
better sound conductors than keyholes
and narrow spaces under the doors. The
III known said in substance:
We are not running away from the
'old ard established institution but we
arc taking our chances with those who
Will take chances with us. The National
league has had every chance to recog-
nze the players. but has ignored them
completely. The players have at last
realized that they, who play the game,
are the real attraction, and that the
people who patroniZe baseball care not
nne cent for the troubles of the mag
mates. The players are tired of being
slaves. to be bought and sold, farmed,
loaned and traded at the option of their
owners Instead of failing to stick to the
'Old and established institution, the
players have the sense of rats and are
nuick to desert sinking ship
Another representative took the floor
to take exception to the comparison and
lauShinGly asserted that rats and ball
players should not be mentioned in the
Same breath.
AS to the question of desertion." he
continued, and in loud voice that
sounded much like the voice of F. L.
Donohue, of Philadelphia. II do not con
slider that we are deserters any more
than the signers of the Declaration OF
Independence We're deSerters of our old
friend King George. We are simply ask
ing for justice and if it does not come
Cor the asking then we must fight for it,
Before returning to Ithaca to continue
his law studies and baseball coaching a
Cornell, Hugh Jennings said to Cleve
land interviewer:
II have no fear of the players failing
to live up to the action of the delegates
We have been long sufferers and patien
Tor the most part, but now the time ha:
come to assert our rights. Il is so oh
Niously to the ultimate advantage of the
players to stick to the association that
am positive they will do so, even if the!
have to suffer little temporary incon
Ntnience in so doing
baseball in all the most important cen
ters of population will be affected di
rectly or indirectly by war between tn
National and American leagues, say
Sporting News. The latter is no longe
a sectional organization about which tn
eastern baseball is not concerned
1t aspires to expand, and the Nationa
league opposes it's entrance to the cas-
except on terms which are prohibitive
INSTEAD of relying on it's own strength