Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-02

Tayors the Player and Wants
the Rulings of the National
Commission Obeyed.

TE' editorials in the st. LOUIS sporting
News upon the Kelley case which The Star
reviewed last Sunday, stirred up President
HERMANN of the national commission. and
l. has come back lot footed at Editor
Fll.u,r of the Mound city paper Mr..
lfrrrmaun goes over the case. taking the
S,m, position that The Star did that Kel-
l-y has done nothing dishonest. and right
f4liy claims that it is for the interest of
base ball that the decision or rulings OF
It majority of the national commission
SHOULD he final upon ali matters brought to
i, for consideration.
In regard to the assertion that the ma
tfuull commission had no jurisdiction IN
the case Mr.. Hermann says:
\ majority OF the commission has issued
an order that there will he no Interference
with Kelley pending a final investigation Of
the matter by them. \ majority ruling
should In my Judgment be at all times re-
-pr,lrI by all parties. Mr.. Johnson, how
eyer has instructed his umpires to keep
X Hey of the field. DO not know what
I bases this action upon, unless he con-
sf,I.s the action of the American AssoCia-
lion of December = to he a permanent dis
Hbtitg against Kelley. The American Assoc
cation contends that II never intended 1t
;S such; there has been no ruling of the
commission that it should be construed as
such and l therefore hold that If there is
interference with Kelley, he has his redress
10 the commission. whether he is a player
owner, manager or anything else.
If the records of the American Assocla-
ton show that Kelley has been disqualified
for crooked practices. / certainly nave
no knowledge of it. l do not know when
the American Association investigated the
matter. whether it had any testimoney
before il other than that shown in the tran
script sent to the commission. l have read
l. c.svtTNt =
times again this week. and | venture TO say
that there is not one nan in thousand
unless he he prejudced. that would adJudge
Kelley guilty of the charges made taking
the testimony as submitted. as a basis.
In conclusion. my understanding of the
Kelley case is follows:
list Has the st. Louis Club lost title TO
this player for failure TO put him on its
reservation list last fall or not? This mat
ter is now squarey before the commission
for its decision.
Ia. | contend that Kelley has neither
been convicted nor acquitted of the charges
FLED against him in the American Associa-
tiuu. but that the resolution adopted by
that association simply made him ineligible
In that association. especially so. If the
qualification that il placed on it. that
he should not be debarred from earning u
livelihood in any other association, is taken
into consideration
sd / contend further that if the action
Of the American Association taken in the
Kelley case is to be construed being
permanent inelGibility against him in all
organizations, then his redress is by appeal
to the national commission.
In conclusion. | contend that majority
view of the commission should at all times
be respected by all persons operating under
the national agreement. and especially by
the members of the national commission.
If one person has right to deviate from
the ruling of the majority, then every one
has. What the result in such an event
would he you know well as | do
In the present case l believe a very
serious mistake Is being made In not
speeding the ruling of majority of the
commission. and particularly so. as that
ruling Is only temporary one"
Last weeks Sporting News takes up Mr..
1lerrmann's letter and endeavors to offset
the presidents claims. The Sporting News
makes the serious mistake of making fish
oi one and fowl of the other in claiming
that Kelley. as manager, comes under the
rulings OF the commission. but that Kelley
as player does not. From an unbiased
point of view, II looks as though President
Hermann has got the dots on some one,
and by reading between the lines IT Is not