Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-22
Tribute Paid to Presi-
dent Ban Johnson.
GREATEST LEADER
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION REGAT-
ia TO BE HELD NEAR ST. LOUIS.
Worlds Champion Runner Coming to
America - New Orleans Races
Sharkey and Munroe Matched.

No tribute was ever more fitting or de-
served than that which the American
League magnates attempted to pay Pres
ident Johnson on the closing day of their
meeting In Chicago by voting him salary
of $4,000 and a holiday gift of 500 In
cash. says the Chicago Tribune. No act
was ever more characteristic of the Amer
lean League executive than his refusal to
accept either of these tributes until finally
compelled to submit to the raise in salary.
This recognition on the part of the league
of Ban Johnsons wonderfully successful
efforts to bring the organization through
desperate war is effective answer to the
carping critics of various sections, who
have attempted in different ways to make
it appear the American League was house
divided against itself and that Ban Johnson
held his position at the head of the league
by main force only. 1t was positively stated
at the time Postal disposed of his holdings
in the Washington club that Johnson was
compelled to purchase PoStals stock In or
der to retain Tom LOTUS incidentally, .ut.
more pertinently, in order to retain Tom
LOTUS support of Johnson. 1t was declared
that four clubs were already plotting john
sons overthrow, and that if the persons
who were trying to buy into the Washing
ton club succeeded in getting control or
that club 1t would cast its vote with the
would be at an end.
These reports were too silly to attract
more than passing attention. except In
National League circles. at the time. and
they are recalled here merely to show. by
contrast with the American Leagues latest
act. how widely at variance with the truth
they were.
Probably there is no other man at present
identified with base ball. ever was. who
would have taken Ban Johnson'S stand and
refused to accept the substantial tributes
of his associates. How many men are t-.ere
anyway. who ever refused to accept 5000
honestly earned? 1t is not as If this had
happened last season when the American
League was just recovering from costly
war and needed all it's sinews to MAINTAIN
its existence. The league Is now on sub
stantial basis and with a prosperous season
to look forward to, consequently could
we'll afford to reimburse its president for
some of his extraordinary Efforts In Its be-
half.
Those who have looked for the early disso-
luton of the American League on account
of financial weakness will probably be sur
prised at its generosity to its president. It
does not appear that an organization Is In
danger of bankruptcy when it can throw a
bunch of $1,000 bills around its meeting
room. 1t is pertinent question to ask what
would have happened In like occasion In
any other base ball league. Abel of the
Brooklyn club once said he never went to a
National League meeting without leaving
all his money and valuabies at home and
putting mis- watch in the hotel safe before
entering the room with his associates, and
he finally left off attending the meetings al
together. If Abe1s statements were even
partially true, it is interesting to imagine
what would happen to a $4,000 roll If it ever
made its appearance without a chaperon in
the same room with men like Brush, Soden
and Dreyfuss.
The league has done Ban Johnson only
justice in making him the highest salaried
league official in the history Of the game
There was never any justice in paying a
manager of Ned Hanlons ability, for in
stance, salary of $4,000 for merely hand
ling team, and permitting man of john
sons ability to work the year round for
a sum considerably less Ban Johnson is in
a class by himself in base ball. He has
proven it by the phenomenal skill with
which he has built up Il minor league, one
Of secondary importance even in minor
leaguedom into the strongest and most sue
cessful organization of its kind in the world
This he has done in spite of the bitterest
and most determined opposition that could
be offered by a veteran league, which had
grown rich and powerful through years OF
monopoly and plenty, which held possession
of the base ball strongholds OF the land
and had all the advantages which go with
such possession. How he has succeeded
even beyond the expectations of his asso-
ciates is a matter of history now, but it Is
written in the hearts of his associates ap-
parently-