Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-09-10


Editor IF ne Gloucester Connty Democrat
in article signed BY A. S. Wilson
Manager Of the W. G. @. base bail team
was published in Mondays issue Of th'
Woodbury. Daily Times, and is very unfair
80 the Clayton team; and it seems to Us
that it strikes blow at the best element o
the Country Club, whose guests we were al
the time the unfortunate disagreement oc-
4 CURED during last Saturday s game. If il
were not for the countenance given by the
editorial notes published in connection with
Mr.. Wilson'S ungentlemanly effusion, we
would be inclined to send this explanation
to the same paper, but could hardly expect
any fairer treatment from the editorial
branch of the family than we did from the
sporting portion.
Let us say at the outset that the manage
ment of the Clayton team advised the team
to play after the prop sed change OF the
umpire, in Difference to and through their
respect for the membership of the Country
| Club and the best citizens OF Woodbury.
regard they still maintain and cherish No
one could have felt regret at the unfortu-
nate occurrence so keenly as did our man
agement We would have been willing to
endure the unfair treatment we were receiv-
LIZ III D6IltHt Sl1cDCc cheeA uAtstO 50
should become known to our friends that
their invited guests were the subjects of
outrageous treatment at the hands of those
for whom they must have felt a responsible
ity. Not satisfied with this, the manager
of the base ball club has the bad taste, to
say nothing of bad morals, to rush into
print with a garbled account over his own
signature-one OF those s'half truths that
are worse than lies. II is unbecoming any
management to drag their soiled linen be-
fore the public view, with an effort TO make
it appear any cleaner than the vile stuff it
is. but as he has done so, we are compelled
to protect ourselves and our friends, at
home and abroad, by publishing what we
should have been glad to let remain in OBJ |
scurity. It was not the place of visiting
team to catch red handed in the act a
scoundrel who, for his own profit, was con-
signing to certain defeat the club on which
his money was not wagered; and in the
presence of innocent spectators who at a
sacrifice of time and money supposed they
were witnessing sport. But, unfortunately,
it was left to our province to discover the
reason for otherwise unaccountable de-
cisions In very shame for our friends
whom we were visiting we should have
played on, and as a management, did so adj
wise, but our players, following their own
Judgment and that of some of our most
respected citizens who were present, refused
to accept score whose only claim to ac-
curacy was one of dollars and cents Wei
thought and still think as the PLAYERS did,
but we were visiting courteous people, and
no act of their subordinates, however vile,
could make us forget our duties to ouI
hosts. II we were the players, we might
not have had the same grace. Judas lscar-
lots and Benedict Arnolds sometimes bring
forth the ire of the most gentle OF men. 1t
is not safe to select gambler for an umpire
in game of pure sport and expect every
person to maintain his serenity. Let us
close with two brief statements, first as to
the standing of the notwithstanding
the financial strabismus of the umpire. Mr..
Wilson'S statements infer Clayton's infer
iority and certain defeat, these are the facts:
In four innings Woodbury. made one run,
Clayton none; in the first half of the
fifth inning Clayton had three men
on bases and one man out, one Of
these was called out at home plate by
the umpire-this left it: Woodbury. one
run, Clayton none, with Cltyton still
at bat with three men on bases and two
men out. With what Clayton thinks
would have been fair decision at the home
plate, it would have stood: Woodbury. one.
Clayton one. Clayton still at bat with one
man out. After this Clayton made another
run, on which play another man was put
out at third, making score: Woodbury.
one, Clayton two, Clayton two men on
base and two men out. The calling of the
first man out at home changed all this.
Therefore, Mr.. Wilson's announcements
must not come from any facts as to the
playing, but from that foreknowledge which
has cash for its basis.
Our second statement is not one OF fact
for we are glad to say we have had no
experience by which to judge, so we must
state suggestions case. If ever Clayton
should have to undergo the humiliation of
discovering on their field an umpire of their
suggesting who has defiled his hands with
filthy lucre by having bets on the game he
is to decide upon, we shall use all reason
able efforts to detect it ourselves, and not
leave it to, our friendly visitors to discover;
when we discover it we shall not honor the
man by dismissing him, but shall kick him
off the field; we will then humble cur
selves before our visitors and disclaim any
previous knowledge of the perfidy; we will
then sponge out all score records made
under such base circumstances as entirely
valueless; we will then place the tally in
our VISITORS hands, and insist that they
show us friendly feeling in our disgraced
condition, and mark up any score at their
pleasure; we shall then turn over all the
gate receipts to them, and ask them if
there is anything else we can do to purge
ourselves Of contempt. This is what Clay
ton would do. What has the management
of the Woodbury. base ball club done? 1st,
they have expressed no surprise at the UNI
pire's deed, as if it were a part of daily
game of crap. Secondly, all his decisions,
however rank, must stand, with or without
the dollar mark. Thirdly, they repudiate
an honest guarantee of $25 to the Clayton
club and pocket the whole gate receipts.
We must repeat what we have already
said for fear of its being distorted. We
maintain the highest respect for the club
and for the citizens Of Woodbury., among
whom we have many Of our closest friends,
but of those who seem to have controlled
the actions of the base ball club the lustre
grows dim to our eyes. We again express
regret for the sake of our friends, the
necessity Mr. Wilson's article places upon
us of exposing the whole putrid body, OF
which he has seen fit to exhibit only a
fragment; we have contributed nothing to
its foul odor, and disclaim any property
rights in the carcass; it all belongs to him
he can eat with it, drink with it and sit
up nights with it-yes, and bet with it If
be chooses, but its only proper place Of
publication is among the funeral notices.
0. A. CAMPBELL,
H. PORCH,
w. RosELLE,
Directors and Managers.
The Record.