Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-06
NATIONALS OLD TACTICS.
Not Sincere From the First When Ask
ing for Peace Conference.

A Detroit base ball writer, who believes
he scents conspiracy, on the part Of the
National League magnates. has the follow
ing to say of the present base ball situa-
ton:
IF intelligent thought be given to the
present situation for single moment, even
the novice in National League base ball
history could not fail to fathom the con-
spiracy that was set on foot at the recent
meeting Of that organization In New York.
The appointment Of peace commission
was the first act in the trick, and was cum
ningly designed to throw the American
magnates off their guard apd gull the pub
lie into belief that the National had quit
fighting. This trick was nicely turned and
has been effective. The people rubbed their
hands and exclaimed: Now we will have
peace! and the American managers got to-
gether in haste, selected commission with
full power to acD. went home and sat down
with placid sense Of security.
Then what happened? What have the
emssaries been doing since- the declaration
Of an armistice. and the enemy went into
camp and to sleep? may not be able to
enumerate in chronological order. but my
recollection is that the volatile McGraw
was the first to give sign Of the further
working Of the conspiracy. He was re-
ported as saying that the American League
had no intention of entering New York. but
had designs upon Pittsburg. Then the
Pittsburg agents jumped to the fore with
the announcement that a coterie Of capital
lists of that city had options upon both the
Detroit and Washington franchises. This
was feebly echoed from Boston and Cincn-
natl.
Freedman, he who had turned his New
York club over to the man who sold his
Indianapolis clubs to his wife in order to
escape the odium of maintaining farm
for his Cincinnati club a few years ago;
Freedman. who was sick and tired of base
ball. went out Of it entirely, and was going
to Europe to get away from its tribulations
and stencil, leaped into view by declaring
that unless Delahanty was delivered to him
by Reach and Rogers nothing would come
of the peace conference; while Rogers vo-
clferated that If Delahanty re-entered the
National League it would be men,
Der Of his Philadelphia club. Pittsburg
dinned the Detroit and Washington yarns
day after day: Hanlon went to Baltimore
and assured its people that that city would
certainly have a club in the National
League next year, leading them infer that
there was to be a twelve-club league
through a consolidation Of the National
and American.
'Then. having worked all these schemes
to the limit they sprung new cry. Each
manager, nearly in unison, through his
press agents, wired the statement that all
his recalcitrant players had rushed back
into the fold and signed contracts for next
season. and one or two other seasons for
good measure; that tie American League
was getting the knife ali along the line.
you'd S,a be decimated bsfare spring and its
"can any one fan toaEes IN all these re-
curing and reiterated specials a concerted
plot to create dissensiops, dsspondency and
distrust In the American League: to pull its
magnates by the ears, ahd inspire the pub
lie with the belief that the National League
ia nnca mora in the ga Hdfa 2 W
This is the last dssbaff,hg conspiracy
Of the anarchistic NatfpnaaS, because they
will have no time to conceiYe another be-
fore the opening Of the season Of 1903, and
they will never face IL Reference Of the
season of 1902. II this blot. fails to disrupt
the American League tie. Nationals will be
ready and eager to anpbinta real peace
act - A-S'n