Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09

President Ban johnson.
one aim and desire for the last three or
four years. He deserves success, for he has
been true to his friends and loyal in his
efforts to builG up the organization of which
he is the head.
When Ban Johnson was elected president
of the old Western League in the fall of
1893 he was sporting editor of Cincinnati
paper that was not friendly to President
Brush and the Cincinnati ball club. He
heSitated about taking the position, as Mr..
Brush then controlled the indianapolis
club of the Western League but he finally
accepted
The first year of his presidency there was
no friction. The Western League not only
lasted throughout the entire season, but
almost every club made money. Mr.. John
son showed himself capable of running the
affairs of the league.
Start of the Farm.
The second year, however, small war
cloud appeared On the horizon. In 1894 the
Indianapolis club was one of the weakest
In the league. At the close of that season
President Brush drafted several crack play
ers ostensibly for the Cincinnati club but
before the season of 1895 was more than
few weeks old these players, together with
several others. were sent to Indianapolis.
AS a majority of these players had been
in Western League clubs the season before,
this shadOwy transaction raised protest
among the other team magnates and gave
rise to the farming system The protest
ing magnates claimed that Indianapolis,
through its relations with the Cincinnati
club. had an unfair advantage. President
Johnson agreed whit them, and he and
President Brush locked horns.
The battle lasted nearly two years, but
in the end President Johnson won, and,
during the stormy fail of 1897, succeeded in
having a rule passed which prohibited any
man interested In a National League club
ou-p m 10 Western Lea one
President Brush was forced to transfer his
stock in the Indianapolis club, and ceased
to have any direct connection with the
team.
The farming evil. however had spread to
other clubs in the league. and almost every
manager by that time profited by it. Mean
while, the affairs of the league had assumed
much Importance that President Johnson
was forced to devote his entire time to its
management, and he removed to Chicago.
He was opposed to the farming system and
tried also to have the drafting rule abol-
iShed, but at that time he was not strong
enough to control the situation, and there
were in his own ranks dissenters from his
views.
Johnson had no easy task handling the af-
fairs of the Western League. Almost every
season brought about changes in the cir
cult. Before he had been in office two years
he saw that there were one or two unde-
sirable men in the organization who, sooner
later, would wreck it. and he at once set
about TO get them out. In every case he
was successful. and in their places secured
excellent men and added great strength to
the league.
Making Himself Felt.
Each year he was granted more author
ity, and his position became more thorough
ly established. During the last three years
he has had almost absolute control of the
league, and in several cases has practically
controlled individual clubs and dictated the
entire policy of the league. Several times
he clashed with the owners, but almost In
variably won his point.
Unfortunately for both johnson and the
Indianapolis club, the breach caused by the
fight on Brush and the farming system was
not entirely healed and there was a feeling
Of mutual distrust. This often worked to
the disadvantage of the Indianapolis club;
but Johnson kept along his straight and
narrow path, knowing he was right. He
fought the Brush control, feeling that no
Western League club should be dominated
by National League influence.
Johnson grew with the league only his
development was somewhat faster. A year
ago he took the first step toward making
the Western League an organization of ma
tional Importance in base ball. The time
was ripe, and he saw the opportunity. Even
then he was forced to attend to internal
difficulties while broadening the scope of
the organiZat ton
The affairs of the Detroit club were in
an unsatisfactory condition. and threaten
the difficulties, domestic and otherwise of
Van Derbeck AMI his wife. President john
son took q hand in the affair and handled
II in a mastery manner. Not only did he
extricate the league. but he succeeded In
putting the club in the hands of new and
substantial owners. In that transaction he
showed himself not only a good business
man, but also diplomat.
Starting of Expansion Movement.
While engaged In this work he found time
to bring Cleveland into the new circuit,
and interest the best people of that city in
the new base ball venture. Both in De-
troit and Cleveland his efforts were highly
successful. Before either of these affairs
was settled. however, President Johnson
made his first bold bid for independence by
announcing that his league, which at the
fall meeting had dropped the name Of
Western and taken that of American, would
put a club in Chicago the following season,
with or without the National Leagues con-
sent.
This move caused a big stir in the base
ball world, and dire failure was predicted
by many for the pugnaclous president.
Once more Johnson was successful, but a
war was narrowly averted by President