Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
''ROOTERS WHO
ARE DISTINGUISHED
Justices of Supreme Court and
congressman Who Attend
the Local Ball Games.


| One of the greatest evidences of the pop
ularity OF the national game of base ball is
shown by the interest which grave and
learned judges of the United States Supreme
Court and national lawmakers of both
houses of Congress are taking in the news
from the south. where the teams of the
American and National leagues are doing
their spring training. With view to get
ting line on their favorites the big men
of the nation who are thirty-third degree
fans In baseball skip over Supreme Court
decisions. railroad rate legislation and other
national problems and peruse intently and
eagerly the records which are being made
by the base ball athletes in the sunny
southland Additional interest is given the
| sporting feature at this time by the bulle-
tins from Chester, Pa. which show the
condition of Cassidy. the crack shortstop
of the Washingtons, who Is Frustrated at
his home with typhoid fever These bulle-
| tins are scanned eagerly every morning by
the numerous admirers OF Cassidy In Wash
ington among the number being the leading
| lights of the Supreme Court and the two
houses of Congress.
Justice Days Opinion.
There is good reason for this and AS
sociate Justice William R. Day of the
United States Supreme Court. formerly
Secretary of State under President Mckin-
| ley summarized the condition of Cassidy
and the interest taken in his welfare when
| sbe remarked: 1T is a pleasure to attend
games played by the Washington club I'M
| der the new regime. Those of us who love
| the national game are assured that as at
present constituted, with Cassidy at his old
| place at short. opposing team can count
| upon victory until the last man has been
| retired. Under its present management
| Washington never shows signs of defeat,
but hangs on with a bulldog tenacity which
| is most gratifying to all who patronize the
games In this city In other words, they
have adopted never-Say-die policy which
| has a tendency to keep their opponents on
| their mettle from start to finish and Illus
| trates most WILDLY the uncertainties at
tending the contest under the rules of our
national pastime."
Judge Days opinion finds a responsive
| echo in the breast of all who witnessed the
performances of the Washingtons last sea-
| son. and the hope is expressed on all sides
1 that Manager Stahl will be able to make a
| better showing than he did last year with
| the material which he has recently ac-
quired.
Some Congressional ''Fans."
| Congressman are not at all dismayed by
| the prospect of loEg session of Congress
| when they can be assured an afternoon of
| recreation at the American League ball
! park after wordy debate at the Capitol.
| Chairman Payne of the ways and means
| committee is looking forward anxiously and
! eagerly to the return of the Nationals from
! the south, and it IS a safe bet that when
/ the umpire calls play the middle OF next
| month Mr.. Payne will be in his accustomed
| seat in the grand stand, roofing ardently
| and fervently for his favorites. Alongside
of him will be found Representative John
| Dalzell Of Pittsburg, who plays Pythias to
| the Damon of Mr.. Payne, and these two
! representatives are almost as inseparable
| as the Siamese twins.
4 Buffalos representative D. S. Alexander,
| is likewise base ball fan, and never loses
an opportunity to put in an appearance at
/ the ball park whenever game is to be
| played. Senator Mallory of Florida finds
time from his duties of legislating for ma
tional quarantine and other matters of in
| .terest to his section to get out to the ball
| game every afternoon, and he Is an earnest
and close observer of plays, and never fails
| to give vent to his satisfaction when good
/ one is pulled off, regardless of the side MAX
| ing il,
1t is not an unusual sight to see quartet
| from the United States Supreme Court
bench seated in a row when a ball game
! is in progress at the league grounds in this
| city As already indicated Justice Day is
sure to be one, and his associates are usu-
| ally Justices Harlan, McKenna and White.
! These four legal lights often be seen
| engaged in an animated discussion over a
| knotty point relative to a balk tip or
! strike, their manner indicating as mucn
earnestness and seriousness as though en-
| gagged in some intricate constitutional prob
| lem regarding the flag, the Philippines or
| the tariff.
When Senator German Appears.
/ Naturally a gathering of base ball fans
would not be complete without Senator A.
P. German, who in 1867 played on the
! White Lot with the Nationals of this city
and has never lost interest in the game
| since He is among the first to arrive and
| the last to leave the ball park. and his pres
| ence always has tendency to inspire the
| opposing sides to put In their best lfcks to
| show the veteran ball tosser how the game
| has improved since his day. Representative
| Maynard OF Norfolk, Va, who IS putting
up such fight for the jamestown EXPOSE
| ton. will seek relaxation from his efforts
when play is called at the ball park next
month. Another enthusiast and lover of
the game Is Representative Legare of
Charleston S. c., and he can always be re-
| lied upon to root and shout whenever the
| opportunity presents itself in favor of the
1 home team.
In this connection it would probably be
well to state that the political sphinx for
| mer Senator David B. Hill of New York
was never known to enthuse over anything
except game of base ball. He never missed
respect, and an unpopular decision by the
/ umpire merits the strongest disapproyal
| from the sage of Woifert's Roost which he
1 Emphasizes in vigorous manner by pound
4 ing with his walking stick, as If It was a.
token of menace for the unpopular arbiter