The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-03
JOHNSON REVEALED
BY LAJOIE CASE
Talk of Protecting Empires
All Wind.
R0W0Y PLAYERS PLEASED
Apparently if They Have the Right In
fluence They May Assault Indi-
Gator Handler at Will.

Another evidence Of the little faith to
be put in the self-righteous announce
ments of Ban Johnson was furnished in
the Lajoie case. when he removed the
| suspension on that player at the solicit
tation of fraternal order to which he
belonged.
Lajoie committed a vile and rowdy as
sault on Umpire Dwyer. and he had been
sent 10 jail under the circumstances the
player would have had no cause to kick
1t was committed in the presence Of the
| windy Ban himself. and from the
amount Of talk he has been doing about
| protecting his umpires at all times il
might have been expected that he would
fairly burst with Indignation.
Vast Floods of Folk.
He suspended the rowdy Frenchman
for Just one day and by his crawfishing
and resembling the punishment justified
the charges of those who have watched
his career in the cases Of the Baltimore
and Washington clubs, when he talked
more than a roOmful Of monographs
and did nothing. He has always been
as full of promises as a sewing machine
agent but when il comes to delivering
| the goods his memory is faulty when in
fiuence or dollars make a counter prop
| osition.
1t Is to Laugh
A well-known Philadelphia writer SAYS
| OF his action in the Lajoie matter:
To current number Of New York
illustrated sporting paper Ban Johnson
/ contributes an article on the American
LeagSe and attempts to explain its
| success
Modestly deprecating his selection for
| such task, since his part in building
the new league makes 1t difficult for
/ him TO write without seeming TO sound
! his own praises. the chief official Of the
! American League goes on to tell the
/ struggle he has made for suppression
! or rowdy baseball, and asCribes this as
/ a chief reason why his organization has
/ come TO stay.
Johnson Crawfshes.
Scarcely is the ink dry on this self
righteous bleat of virtue before Johnson
| completely stultifies himself, and be-
comes a party to one Of the most out
rageous pieces Of rowdy baseball that
ever disgraced the game.
Last Sunday Umpire Dwyer ordered
| LajOie to the bench
Instead Of abiding by the rules that
make the umpire's mandate final, La
/ joie lifted a quid OF tobacco from his
! mouth, and, in fun view OF great
| crowd including many women. hurled
ttS into Dyer's face
1t Is difficult to conceive of an action
more thoroughly ruf1anly and disgust
| ing.
The Proper Punishment.
Its proper reward would have been
suspension for the remainder Of the
season. and every decent ball PLAYER
would do himself and his calling credit
by ostracizing the man who could so
far forget what he owed to the base
bail public that lifted him from a day
laborer's obscurity into wealth and
fame
The righteous johnson was an eye
witness to the incident.
Those who have believed in the pro-
testations of the American League
president expected that he would take
action that would make Lajoie's case a
Layers.
Instead, the second baseman was sus-
pended for one day.
! = pretense was made that he be kept
OGC of the game indefinitely, but at the
request OF a fraternaI organization OF
| which the offending player is member
was served that rowdies could go TO
any extreme with perfect safety, pro
vided they were good drawing cards.
A Bluff Exposed.
The incident shows that either Presi-
dent Johnson has been blufing from
the first in his advocacy Of clean base
bal. or that he has sunk all co'isidera-
tons OF decency and duty 10 the public
! in his desire to see his clubs make
money.
The result is to strengthen the Ma
. tiOnal League. for it is hardly conceiv-
able that President Pulliam would dis
credit his organization by a similar act
The American League is strong. but
not enough so TO defy public sentiment
II President Johnson is wise he will
bear this fact in mind.