The log cabin Democrat., 1907-08-15
IN DEFENSE OF BASEBALL
Cato Correspondent Endorses National
 Game Scored by Grand Jury.

Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
 The recent attack upon our na- tional game of baseball by our grand jury men and MT. Russell is surprise to us. The attitude of these men is hardly understood by us. In the face of this attack, what shall we think of the full ap- proval of baseball by our college presidents and college teachers and directors; of the support of our high grade people, business men, doc tors, lawyers and all the profess ions? Harvard, Yale and other institutions of worldwide fame have encouraged and approved baseball and support a team in each college. If baseball was such an "evil" why is 1t some of our most prominent people belong and give active support to nation al league of baseball and here, right among our southern states, we have a southern league com posed of officers and teams from every prominent city in the south. And our Little Rock team came near winning the pennant a few years ago.
 The writer has attended base ball games at West End park and watched the teams from Atlanta, Memphis, Birmingham, New Or leans, etc. play our home team and it was. a beautiful game. In the grandstand where we sat we saw hundreds of the best and most prominent people of the city-peo- pie who went for an hours in- nocent amusement and the joy of witnessing fine game. You will find the same conditions existing i'll all other cities. Even learned, dignifed old Boston belongs to the National League and puts up a good game, too. When our of fcers of state are baseball presi- dents and managers, when our finest business men control and di rect teams and our best people stamp their approval by attending, what and where is the awful mea- ace from baseball.
 Pray since when have we not had dilapidated homes, rotten tences and torn down gates? We have and always have had these conditions in ousr country, and in places where no fans ever screamed and no bleacher;tes ever yelled at the decisive incidents of the game, it is no different In places where the boys never gathered for base ball never felt the joy of home run, or thrilled with enthusiasm at the sight of a difficult catch by triumphant outfelder, the Sunday school, church and social life av- eragss up no better than all others. Baseball is not to be catalogued with the race course and other things that go hand i'll hand with gambling. We don't say that no harm is ever connected with base ball. Some people would and do cause evil in church affairs. No good thing is permitted to escape the influence of evil ill some way. Because a hypocrite, gambler or drunken sot enters a church would you close its doors as polluted and forbid its use by anyone? Go to work to shut out all that Is wrong and keep the game clean and fine. Baseball is clean, splendid game, interesting and intended for ath- letic development and only clean, strong, intelligent men and boys are fitted to play it properly. The boy or man whose muscles or nerves are made unsteady by dis sipation can t do much in baseball, but the man or boy who has put in the whole week of work days, less half day in hard work, will be all the better for half day devoted to baseball. And church, society and wood pile won't suffer unless you have wrong crew for the game. The fact is, if neighbor- hood cannot have a good clean game once a week, if wrong prac- tices are the rule, then be assured that baseball is not the guilty par ty, 1t is only used as a tool and anything pure and blameless would share the same fate. Boys must have exercise, and run and play just as the growing lambs and pigs do. It is nature. Natural law says all things even to plants must have rest from the main business of life. And if you have a good clean set of manly boys you will a game that is equally so. It is no