The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-09
FEW REASONS FOR PEACE
WHY BASEBALL LEAGUES SHOULD
SETTLE DIFFERENCES.
Much Depends on the Coming Confer
ence tn He Held An Chfcage-sport-
ing Life Favors Peace.

De adjusted and the war which has been
costly declared at an end The American
Association and Western League will meet
IN Chicago on Nov. Is and will be pre-
pared to meet with the board of arbitration
Of the National Association of Minor
Leagues on the same date. While the war
Wased last summer was between the Amer
lean Association and Western League. il
| aHected all minor leagues. Everybody
concerned fayors peace and It IS to be
hoped that Van Brunt, financial hacker
or the Western League. will agree to ac-
cept the Powers compromise, whereby
ootn the Western League and American
Association will continue clubs in Milwau-
kee and Kansas City. The wording of the
Powers compromise is as follows:
The American Association to enter the
Natlonal Association as full-fledged mem
per, 10 respect contracts, reservation and
territorial rights, and to permit the West
ern League to retain its clubs in Milwau-
Kee and Kansas City, both leagues playing
under conflicting nonconfiicting sched-
ule, as might be determined, until such
time as one or the other clubs might have
enough OF the fight and retire voluntarily,
| IN which event the territory would belong
exclusively to the league whose club out
| lived the other
The Sporting Life, one of the best base
| pail authorities, has come out as strong
advocate In favor of peace, and in ed
A
| Appeal to Reason" says:
The Milwaukee and Kansas City terri
tory proved bone of contention on which
the American Association and Western
| League found ii impossible to reach a mu-
| tudlly satisfactory agreement. Hence a
| compromise was in order and the best pos
SlDle, all conditions and interests consid-
| cred, was offered in the Powers compro-
mise, under which the Western war would
nave been confined to the two leagues
] chiefly interested, the question OF survival
| ntteSt would have EFF f0r
] final sttlement to the people of the terri
| tory In dispute, and the National Associa-
| ton would have been released from costly
| and 1ntolerable position-acting as buffer
/ In a Quixotic struggle in which it had
Httle 10 gain and much, If not everything,
| TO lose. So much for the saving Powers
compromise
we have no desire to enter into the
merits OF the deplorable intereague war
purely personal enters into the quarrel
The claims of both parties to the territory
and our readers can form their own con-
! clusion. Neither do we take a partisan or
sentimental view of any phase. OF the sit
| uaton. "A condition, not theory con-
| fronts organized minor league ball. If the
movement for peace-SO diSntereStedly
started and fostered by Sporting Life
fails every minor league interest I'm the
country will suffer grievously. A continual
ton of the war positively means for the
| American Association another season of
costly struggle to establish ITSELF with
every mans hand against it. For the
| Western League il means the continuation
of an expensive and futile battle for terri
| tory and class to which II Is not naturally
| entitled or adapted. For the National AS
| ISOLATION 1T means sure loss of prestige
| by reason of it's inability to WELD full pro-
lection to. all of its members under a state
of war-a condition which must tend in
evitably either TO the disntegration of the
association or the creation of rival body :;
In which event the minors independence
would soon be lost forever. The Powers
compromise would obviate all these dis
treSSing probabilities
1 Our chief concern in this situation is for
the National Association, which in one
short year has amply demonstrated its
capacity Tor f-government; it's useful
ness to Its constituents and its power for
good, needing only the inclusion of the
powerful American Association to make it
self absolutely impregnable and imperisha-
BILE. To have such an organization. with
its splendid first-year record, its bright
future and vast possibilities. impaired in
strength, fmpeded in progress and perhaps
imperiled in existence for foolish quar-
rel over comparatively insignificant terri
tory, aggravated by the personal feud OF
| four men, and muddled by peanut politics.
would be blistering shame. The fall of
| such an organization, for such a quarrel.
would be as melancholy as the fall of a
lion under an ASS kick. The Powers COM
| promise would prevent all this.
The National Association, to retain it's
independence, hold what it has gained and
attain full solidiication and growth must
compose this quarrel. no matter at what
cost. or else boldly take the bull by the
horns. The American Association needs
! the National Association. frankly admits
| il, and is anxious to become a member
upon what 1t considers honorable condi-
| tions. The National Association on the
other hand, needs the American Associa-
ton even more for the reason that so long
| as such an important minor league remains
without the pale the National Association
cannot attain full growth and absolute
| power or afford full protection to its Iowa.
members. The Western League, too, we
believe, would like to receive the American
| Association into full communion could II
| reconcile its views of honorable condi-
tions" with those OF the American Associa.
ton. That appearing impossible. the Pow.
| ers compromise was the only feasible solu.
ton in sight. and that the Western League
| rejected il, under the desperate circum.
| stances, was not to its credit.
"Our appeal is to the Western Lea
which is I'm a position TO settle the war anC
/ save the face of its friends and allies Il
| IL adheres to its expressed propositions ant
with IL, there will be no peace. and Their,
will be a continuation OF war which will
bring positive loss. and probably ruin, Il
the whole minor league world. If il &C
cepts the American Association proposition
!. the war will be settled at once and tn,
National Association will become a perfec
. bodv If IL accepts the Powers compromis,
II will have such satisfaction it may fine
i'm continuing the war. but at its own ex
| pense without taxing the patience ant
: pockets and imperiling the interests of il
friends That is the situation in nutshell
and il ought not to be difficult for tn
| Western League, in return for the loya
2 / s1lpport accorded IL hitherto by the Ma
, tional Association. to make its choice. Tn
| Power compromise opens wide the door 70
! that.
, For its own sake we trust the Western
= League will make a choice for peace on o
/. | before the next joint conference at Chicago
on Nov To- If il doesn't IL will thrust upo
/: ! tho National Association the duty OF pro
< ! tecting itself and the large interests in
trusted to il by other constituents beside
!. I this one Western League. As things haN
I been going every minor league club, mem
!, Der of the association, has loyalty helpe
1 ! foot the bill for the war through loss o
: players and increased salary lists. with tn
understanding that one season would settl
| the Issue The best the Western League
| desnite vast expense and prodigious en-
| deayor has been able to secure in the bat
{ tIe Is a draw which means renewal of tn
: struggle for an indefinite period unles
: / peace is made. The National Associatio
will therefore, be JUSTIFIED in asking hoy
e much longer and 10 what good purpos
q Z there should be waged war whose bur
, den can be shifted to the Selligeren
I J shoulders where II properly belongs throug
n the Powers compromise.
: ''It Is true the National Association, in
: | measure tied the hands or Its nationa
: ! hoard by the unwise and probably heed
lessly enacted resolution knitting the boar
! 70 a settlement acceptable TO the Wester
I league: but the latter should not presum
! on that. Legislative acts are repeaIablt