Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-20
MAGNATES WILL NOW
TAKE A BACK SEAT
Managers and Players to Get
in Spotlight Until Sea-
son Opens.

Now that the National and American
League magnates have held their annual
meetings and transacted what business
they had before them, the base ball public
can ook forward to something IN
which 1t is more interested than the rae
tional warfare of the club owners. Inc
election of Thomas ]. Lynch. former
umpire, to the office of president SOUNDS
all right to the fans, for Lynchs record
is enough to make him fit for the posi-
ton. so far as the patrons OF the game
are concerned.
lynch will no doubt make an excellent
president of the National League ana
worthy successor of Harry {. Puitiam
and John A. Heydler, for he believes III
keeping the game clean. upholdrng the
1,mpires and preserving the integrity OIL
the great national pastime, pohcy winch
was always upheld by Pulliam and Heyd-
Ter while they were in office Lynch was
the compromise candidate named by John
r Brush aud as the New YORK cluD nds
generally figured prominently in trying
to dictate the affairs of the Natonai
League, it will be interesting 10 note Wnal
Brush and his followers do toward nelp-
ing Lynch keep the good name OF pase
ball above reproach.
Real Owners Known.
One thing that the National League
meeting failed to divulge was the official
announcement of the real ownership OF
the Philadelphia club. 1t was thought
that Horace S. F'ogel would have to show
his hand when he was admitted to MEM
bership in the league as the holder of the
stock i'm the Phillies, but Fogel managed
to get away with the statement that only
those named as the present officers owned
stock in the club. But while FOgefs
statement was accepted at the meeting.
and the Philadelphia club was admitted
TO membership, there are those among
the magnates who are not SATISFIED. and
il is certain that further investigation
will be carried on until the matter is
cleared up
In following in the wake of Charles w.
Murphy of Chicago. supporting John nj.
Ward for the presidency. Fogel practical
~ admitted that he was following the
dictation of the Chicago club owner, and
from statements which the latter made
during the week in New York the belief
that Murphy and Taft of Cincinnati fur
nished the money to buy the Phillies'
stock grew stronger. Now 1t seems likely
that the real owners Will never be Off
cially made public. for Fogel is reported
to be forming syndicate to purchase the
stock, and the transfer will probably be
made and the names of those forming
the syndicate published without disclosing
the present owners.
Ban on His Rights.
There was nothing siEier in the whole
of last weeks base ball developments
than the studied efforts in some quarters
to attribute the defeat Of John Heydler
to the interference of President Johnson.
In no way did Mr.. Johnson seek to in
fiuence the election of any one person,
though naturally by reason of his asso-
citation with Mr.. Heydler his best wishes
were with him. Mr.. Johnson did only
what every other manly man would have
done under the circumstances. AS soon
as the name of John NJ. Ward was men
toned in connection with the Nationals
presidency he wrote President Hermann
of the national commission, who is also
president of the Cincinnati club, stating
that in the event Of the election of Mr..
Ward to the head Of the National League
cline to sit with him as member of the
national commission. For reasons which
have been printed in detail in these col
umns. Mr.. Johnson thought that in JUS
tice to himself and to the organization
OF which he is the head he could not sit
at the same board with Mr.. Ward. These
reasons were purely personal Mr.. Ward
was Objectionable to Mr.. Johnson and to
the American League. and Mr.. Johnson
lection. just as foreign countries have
from time to time requested the with
drawal OF names of persons presented by
the United States government as minis
tiers or ambassadOrs-guys who were per-
soma non grata as they say in the diplO-
matte league. There was nothing to pre-
vent the Nationals from electing Mr..