The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-23
JAMES o'RoURKEs LETTER.
Feeling of Orator" in Regard to the
 Blacklist Controversy.

rttuHS or "OratOr Tn Regard 10 the |
 Blacklist Controversy.
 James J. OtRourke, long known as the Orator expresses his feeling of the baseball blacklist controversy in the following letter to Harry Pulliam, the National league president:
 Mir. Harry Puliam. New York City:
 Dear Sir: It is unnecessary for me to assure you that it is with pleasure I acknowledge the receipt of your com-I munication of January IA. with clipping inclosed, relative to resolutions intro duced by me at our annual meetingl and equally my pleasure to reply, andI thank you for your kindly sentimentsI expressed therein which are apprecia- ted.
 "I have read very carefully and with interest your letter and clipping in- closed, and l must confess from my understanding, misapprehension some where exists as to the purport of saidt resolution, however in my opinion, thel importance of said resolution Is not worthy of the prominence that has been given 1t either by you or the press.
 T did not anticipate the development of usch zeal, energy, or indignation from you or any one else as has fol- lowed In the wake of said resolution.
 You call said resolution 'un-Ameri-I can, unjust, and ultra Russian Now as to your reasons for this: Is it because you believe the said resolutionl is predicated on an actual blacklist asI living fact, and of this had personal proposed and adopted.
 proposed and adopted
 T believe this to be a reasonable as- sumption because 1t Is self-evident that you have laid great stress upon inclos- ed clipping to support and sustain your position. To say I am astoundedI at the statement but feebly expressed my feelings. and language utterly fails me to express my true feelings for al statement for which In absolute exist ing circumstances to either justify orl excuse.
 positively swear did not have a baseball conversation with New York newspaper man, and solemnly swear II never furnished any one with list of the blacklisted players, as stated byI the following reasons: First becaus l never had such list: second, becauseI ! never saw such a list, and third, be- cause no such list was ever prepared by any person associated with our as- sociation to my knowledge.
 Wow as to the said resolution. It was dignified and respectful in lan- guage, and not intended by the author | to offend any member of the National | Commission, nor do injustice to a sin-I | gle player, whose rights I will go as far as any man In championing and up- | holding. MT. Hermann wrote me re- garding said resolution prior to your possession. I assumed same was read by you as well as by your associates on the board, and concluded my explana- ton was eminently satisfactory until your letter came this a. m. Presuma- ply you never read either letter to Mir. Hermann. If you did I fail to com prchend how you possibly could place upon said resolution the interpretation indicated by your communication un- less influenced by what you read In newspapers By the widest stretch of the imagination I did not think it poss- ible that said resolution was suscepti- ble to such an interpretation as to dis eliminate, establish and build up. and include within It's operation a special blacklist of the players reinstated by 1 the National Commission. Such Is not the scope or purport of said resolution, nor was 1t contemplated by me when MT. Farrell answered you-as appears in your letter to him-he was right in saying that the National Association had not taken any steps to place cer- tain ball players reinstated by the Ma tional Commission on the blacklist of the National Association, regardless of | Commission.
 "I believe in the principles of fair | play, square deal. the grand prlnci- ples of equity and justice. and their ap- | plication as far as in the nature of things it is possible to extend or apply 1 them.
 "I fully believe as you do in the rules and regulations of organized baseball as determined by honest men and just men, because upon it depends the in tegrity and perpetuity of the game. believe no player should be condemned without the opportunity to be heard if he so wills; and. furthermore, no play CT should be adjudged guilty of the cap- ital offense of ineligibilty unless ad judged upon the evidence, and the evil dence conclusive in each and every in- dividual case. This Is only just and fair, and am confident that such men as you, having the courage of your convictions and the best interest of the suffers from the application of this principle. In conclusion, permit me to say that said resolution is inharmony with this sentiment, and that said res olution is neither the father of a 'black-list un-American, unjust. and ul- tra-Russian,' but in substance, re- iteration of agreement adopted by the National Commission and National As- sociation at the time of admission of Tri-State League. Yours truly,
 U. H. O'Rourke''