The San Francisco call., 1908-12-23
OUTLAWS SCOFF AT
LAST OFFER OF
BIG LEAGUE
Graham of Sacramento Tries
Hard 10 Bring About Peace,
Without Result

After the ringleaders of the Pacific
Coast and State league organizations
had exchanged their challenges and
sworn TO wage war on each other on
Monday evening, the peace dove, dis
guised as Charles Graham of the Sac
ramento club, fitted about all day yes
terday and his entreaties were bark
ened to for. a time. Toward evening it
looked as though the happy chord was
struck and that the much nicked
hatchet of war would be buried, but at
the eleventh hour c. Y Morefng of the
curtains with the little white bird.
BY dint Of reasoning and pleading
with his brother managers OF the State
league. Graham managed to get them
together for a final conference with
the Coast league officials and president
Ban Johnson of the American league.
leagues had gathered President Ewing
made his terms, which were as follows:
EWING'S TERMS
The Coast league would agree to
take the State league in and allow it
TO retain all its players. eligible and
ineligible, and would restore the latter
to good standing, provided that the
state league managers would be con-
tent to share half the purchase price
of the ineligible and eligible players
after they We're disposed of by the out
law organization.
But even this liberal concession
would not suit Moreing. After a brief
conference with Graham, Jarman, Ev-
ans and Mcdonald, the other State
league powers at the meeting, More
ing announced that he would not think
Of coming into organized baseball un-
less the big league magnates would
give him absolute ownership of all his
men, eligible or ineligible.
This announcement practically
brought the conference to an abrupt
ending Graham perceived at once that
further missionary work on his part
a fan mo
was intent on lighting, no matter what
the ultimate result might be. AS the
others seemed to stand in closely with
Moreing, there was nothing left for
Graham to do but gracefully to retire.
JOHNSON RUFFLED
The chances for peace looked so
bright about noon that President Ban
johnson of the American league de-
cided TO remain in this city for the pur-
pose of officially sealing the agreement
between the leagues. He was conf
last minute, and when Moreing turned
the Coast league offer down, Johnson
was very much ruffied.
The leaders of both sides expressed
themselves as being satisfied that war
would be on next season All of them
felt sure that war was inevitable, and
each handed out the usual talk of be-
ing ready to make the tight of his life
for his particular club. AS everybody
was stubborn, nobody looked for the
other fellow TO make a single conces-
[ SlOn-
After the hostile conference the rival
magnates all expressed themselves as
being satisfied to fight the battle to a
finish inasmuch as there seemed but
little chance for a truce. The outlaw
men were as enthusiastic as the Coast
league officials and declared that the
latter would know as well as they that
the fight would be a fast and, furious
one.
Moreing, the real mogul of the State
league was responsible for the state
Yaent that if things kent on as they
were going now his league would GER
tainlv nut grounds in Oakland and
most likely in Los Angeles next season
in order to carry the fight right up to
the Coast league. He even went as far
as to hint at a possible San Francisco
diamond. and he added that he would
have the financial backing to carry him
through.
GRAHAM WAS HOPEFUL
Graham. the one man among the
State league officials who had hank
ering after peace, was very much sub
fdued at the conclusion Of the confer
ence Naturally, he will be forced to
line up with his brothers in the war
apafnsf the Coast league, but even
when the gauntlet was thrown down
hv Moreing the Sacramento man still
! believed that he had chance.
Johnson was visibly disappointed at
the outcome of the final conference,
feelincs. He repeated again, however,
his fext of Saturday night, that If there
was a war the State league men would
he well aware of it and they would
shortly discover what real baseball
meant