The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-19
SPALDING TELLS HIS SIDE OF
THE NASTY BASEBALL
MIX-UP
WILL FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Enemy Must Stack Arms and Freed
man Must Get out Before
Peace Can BE De-
= cIared.

was sent out to secure options on the
stock of the different National league
teams. Mr.. Spalding, in an endeavor to
let III the light, gave the following inter-
view:
LAS you know, I was elected president
at the last annual meeting OF the Ma
tional league, Dec. IA, and because my
election was not agreeable to the preSi-
dent of the New York club, Mr. Freed
man. in some unaccountable way, IN
tuenced the Boston, Cincinnati and St
Louis clubs to Join him in boiling the
meeting, and later induced them to take
refuge in the New York courts, obtaining
from the courts restraining order pre-
venting me temporarily from acting as
president of the league. This is the posi-
ton / am In at the present tlme-aWalt-
ing the decision of this court as TO
whether l am or am not the legal pIesl-
dent of the National league. While the
courts restraining order is in effect L
must bow to the majesty of the law and
obey the courts injunction. Consequent
4y, pending decision in this case, can
not officially act as president of the
National league. l do not understand that
the courts orders prevent my having a
little desultory talk now and then upon
baseball affairs in general, however.
Hoping for a Decision
cit is to be hoped that a decision will
be rendered before the playing season
begins, but if not it is safe to assume
that at least the four loyal clubs of the
National league will be playing baseball
just as if nothing had happened. But
am of the opinion that some and perhaps
all of the boiling clubs will return In
time to be scheduled. That is, unless They
allow Mr.. Freedman to drag them down
to baseball oblivion with himself.
THE key that will unlock this base
ball situation quicker and more effective
ly than anything else will be for the
stockholders of the New York club to
hold an early meeting and elect sue
cessor to Andrew Freedman as president
OF that club, a man with whom it is pos
Sible to carry on baseball relations with
any satisfaction to anybody
Have you received communication
from Mr.. Brush in answer to your last
one TO him?"
NO; / hardly expect to, for in my let
ter / notified Mr.. Brush that, while |
will recognize him as the commander Of
the Freedman Four there is no Occa-
sion to have any further correspondence
or even a conference for any other pur-
pose than to decide upon the terms OF
his factions surrender. You must remem-
her that Mr.. Brush made an unSuccesS-
full effort a few years ago to get I'D OF
this man Freedman, whom he then de-
nOunced as a baseball impoSsibllity, but,
unfortunately. he made compromise or
1Sther surrendered himself to Freedman,
with unfortunate consequences to him
SER ana the league.
No Guardian for brush.
Everyone knows that John T. Brush
IS an experienced baseball politician and
ISOQS no SQ1IQldI 70 OIIGCl Ill., Oul IL
were to make any criticisms of his
baseball fighting capabilities, judging
from the past, l would express the opin-
ion that Mr.. Brush is inclined to make
peace treaties or compromises with his
enemies before they have stacked their
guns.
league, or rather it's present four loyal
r9embers, to conduct this baseball fight,
am going to try to profit by Mr.. Brush's
mistakes in the past and allow no COM
promise or cessation of hostilitles until
tile enemy has raised the flag OF truce
and stacked their arms. Upon their
having done that and my being assured
that the stockholders of the New York
club, in which Brush and SOden are
prominent, have elected a successor to
President Freedman, they will probably
find me as generous in settlement of
these baseball difficulties as circum-
stances will permit
II expect to have a talk with Mr.. Hart
for the purpose, among other things, of
dieproving some of the recent statements
made by Messrs Brush and Robson rel
ative to the so called trust scheme which
those gentlemen continue to claim I was
trying to organize last summer.
ITO me the efforts of Messrs. Brush
and Robson to swear upon me the pa
rentage of the F'reedman-BruSh miSfit
busted baseball trust IS one of the most
1udicIous things of this baseball miX-up
1t is quite true that Mr.. Hart, with my
Knowledge and consent made an effort
to get a cash option Of purchase on the
St. Louis and Cincinnati clubs last June,
and also through these two gentlemen
hoped to secure options of purchase on
Freedman's New York club, and, in fact
all the clubs of the league. Had this
committee acted sincerely it's efforts
would have been successful and I would
have been in a position to negotiate the
sale of these different clubs to local cap
1talists in the cities where the clubs are
located thus effectively doing away with
syndicate ball. which is the real under
lying cause Of all the present trouble in
the National league.
1t was reported to me by Mr. Hart
that Mr.. Robson was at first very much
in favor of giving an option on the st.
Louis club. | also understood, as a re-
suit of the conference between Messrs.
Brush, Hart and myself in Chicago JULY
last, that Mr.. Brush was also in favor.
IN fact, DESTROYS, of giving an option on
the Cincinnati club. The result of that
july conference as I understood it. was
that MessrS Hart, Brush and Robson
would in addition to placing in my
hands options on their respective clubs,
also act as n committee to at once pro-
coed tC secure options of cash purchase
from the other five clubs.
Harmony Was the Idea.
upon the positive assurance from Mr.
Brush and Mr. Hart that they would take
this matter up at once / left for Califor-
MA, expecting to receive the options with
IN TWO or three weeks Had the options
been placed in my hands at that time
my next move would have been TO pI1t
myself in communication with Mr.. John
son, Of the American league, and see if
some plan could not be devised by which
the National and American leagues could
work together in baseball harmony, NOT.
however, through amalgamation or trust
methods.
From the previous talk I had had with
Mr. johnson at Atlantic City l believe al
that time a desirable and harmonious SET
tIement could have been made between
the two leagues. Instead of proceeding
along these lines that were aoraed ,InoS1
at this July conference in Chicago and
without advising Mr.. Hart or myself of
their change of heart they accented Mr.
freedman invitation to that celebrat ed
Red Bank meeting, at which the Ma
uonaI agreement was abrogated and This
whole Freedman-Brush busted baseball
trust scheme decided upon
And Mr.. Brush. | understand was r 81
egated at that time to shape up the da
tails and force the scheme through tha
recent annual league meeting in New
York. the results of which efforts are al
ready familiar to You. Instead Of Mr.
Brush accusing me of being the father
of his trust scheme if he-had said I was
the eXecutioner he would have been near
er the truth.
For the enlightenment of those who
are interested in the perpetuity of pro-
fessional baseball 1 would saw NV sole
aim and objects are to rehabilitate the
eaah club to be of distinctly local char
acter throughout, financially as well as
Sentinentally, and to assist in re-esta h.
Hshlng organized peaceful baseball con-
dltions throughout the country as soon as
the National league disentangles itself
from its present complications and Is in
q position to do its share to bring about
this result.
Quotes Plank of Platform.
II do not know how I can better ex-
press my ideas as to the kind of a base
ball government required than to quote
10 lot