Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05
BASE BALL MAGNATES
MUST Be ON ALERT
President Heydier Won't Stand
for Murphy's ''Inside"
Game.

Every base ball magnate wants to
make as much money as possible and
WELD as much power as possible says
Allen Sangree in the New York Journal.
Charley Murphy. being young and am
bilious. having made a clever purchase
OF the Chicago Cubs. having risen from
John T. Brush's assistant secretary to
the majestic realm Of magnate. is es-
pecially keen. There IS no cause for
the public to fear Mr.. Murphy. He won't
newspapers. after ALL have something to
say In base ball. They. and not the
magnates, protect the game.
Whether or not Murphy has an in
terest in the Philadelphia club will mean
nothing unless this strenuous young mag
nate attempts 70 stack the cards. Ap-
parently, he has stacked them on John
Heydier, who. however. says that he has
something up his sleeve. Heydler has
the press with him, for the simple rea-
son that he has played, written and UNI
PRED base ball. Furthermore, be has
ably conducted the National Leagues af-
fairs. as president and as secretary TO
Harry Pulliam for quite a few years.
The only valid reason that Murphy can
give for ousting Heydler is because he
can't handle him. National League
president has great power in his own
position and as a member of the ma
ttonal commission. Presumably Murphy
thinks he could get along better with
John NJ. Ward or the dark horse When
notified that the Base Ball Writer'S As
ISOLATION favored Heydler C.. Murphy la
conically answered: Since when did the
base ball writer's have a vote In the Ma
tional Lacquer
Pert. apropos and correct. They have
not. ana want none. But they can keep
pretty close tabs on one feature of the
game, the only feature that interests the
publfc-namely, it's honesty Backed up
play. AA
Up Against II.
Now. you see base ball masnates
sometimes get up against it. An owner
iiKe Dewey. In Boston, cannot secure q
drawing club and becomes financially en-
oarrassed. SO much 50 that Barney Drey-
fus has to take $4,000 worth of the Bcs-
ton stock. It is important that tho play
ing strength In each league be distrib-
uted evenly as possible. This is not the
case In the National League and I have
received a suggestion from q CORRESPOND
ent on TINS feature. He says: ''Why
1850 eiiC ANdeioHdl League not dtStributA
It's great players, In order that certain
ciuos might be strengthened? For in
stance, let Wagner go to Boston for n
couple OF seasons. Around him could he
punt up a strong club, and he would he
Just as much of drawing power "a I'M
Pittsburg.'' -
There are SO many objections to this
scneme that space fails to print them.
But the vital one is that we would
!hen nave reorganized syndicate base
pail the Dig danger. When John T. Brush
bought Seymour and Donlin the Cincin-
natl rams threatened to boycott that club.
BUT TINS was straight business deal.
Brush offered the money and Hermann
was willing. Far different 1t would be
II the same interests controlled a number
OF clubs. Base ball is sufficiently q show,
business now. II a base ball Syndicate
was able to play its cards like a theatrical
syndicate you would have scandal i'm Zig
time - 10
| No. the salvation in base ball Is COM
petition. the life Of trade. Base ball in
the one real democratic institution We
have left. We ridicule the methods and
antics of these annual sessions, and they
are funny. One moment the magnatee
are each in a different corner roasting
another: again we see them embracing
and swearing allegiance. There is som.-
thing boyish and absurd about Ii all, but
each man is out to have a good club II
a Rockefeller. Havemeyer or some cool.
shrewd genius got hold of the game and
trust. then farewell honest base ball.