Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-25
A WOEFUL NOISE
FROM The SOUTH
Three Eye Leaguers at Spring
field and Bloomington in
a Fine Frenzy.
CLAIM TO BE OUTRAGED
Fact Is, They Were Grabbed at Own
Game, But After All Were
Given Even Break.

the southern end of this little old
Three-Eye league. From the noise
they are making at Bloomington
Springfield and Decatur one might
think some big bad party from up this
way had pushed those puny southern
infants over in the mud and run away
with their candy. Such a cry from
outraged innocence has seldom been
| heard. If one didn't know the facts
it would surely bring tears to his eyes
and determination to his heart 10
avenge the great wrong. Up here in
the north we had been led to believe
that it was a fair open tight between
men, in the Three-Eye meeting at Chi
cago Monday, but it seems not. OF
course that double-oyed villain, Mike
Sexton, is to blame for it all.
The southern clubs. in short, are not
satisfied with what they got. They
thought they had it all cooked up 70
take the whole cheese. They were
baked and got but half of it, and
therefore we are getting such samples
as this from the Bloomington Pantl-
graph:
There is an old saying that chick
ems will come home TO rOost. and there
may be some lively fowl retrieving On
the northern circuit OF the Three-Eye
before another year rolls around. The
maSnates in Mike Sections territory
gave those at the south end of the
circuit the impression that they would
cheerfuIly smash the league or have
their way. and only the disposition 81
the southern masnates to refrain from
disappointing the patrons of this end
OF the circuit prevented the disrup-
ton of the organization, perhaps for
all time
Outrageous Gag Rule"
Led by President Sexton, the north
ern magnate3 gave the Chicago meet
ing the most outrageous exhibition of
gag rule. and arbitrary. unreasonable
and illegal performance in the history
Of the national game. They should
be proud of their record. 1t will not
soon be forgotten. They had the
nerve to prevent Danville from exer-
ercising its right to vote. although
given Decatur's franchise a month ago
and recognized in law as a fully equip
ped member of the league. Refusal
of President Sexton to permit Dan
vile to vote resulted in a deadlock
that would probably have lasted for
weeks, perhaps months, and at the
pleasure of the northern clubs. delay
ing the business of the league and
bringing about utter decentralization
and disgust. 1t was a discOuraging
outlook to the true friends of base
ball and the league. one not calculated
to please those who pay their money
to make the game go, either in the
southern or northern ends of the cir
cult. The southern magnates rose SUI
perior to their colleagues in the north
and saved the league from destruction
and permitted the business of the or
ganization to proceed uninterruptedly,
by permitting the entrance of Water /
loo instead of Decatur, thereby adding
heavily to the transportation expenses
and also working farther away from /
the generally desired readjustment
rather than getting nearer to it.
The Danville promoters had their /
eyes opened to the disreputable tao /
tics that could be exhibited in base |
ball politics and they expressed amaze /
ment that such an exhibition could - |
possible. In fact it was amazing 20 .
even the veteran leaders of the league |
II was the limit, and it was no sur
prise that some OF the southern lead
ers expressed their opinion of such
methods in terms that burned deeply. /
That such tactics work serious injury
to the national game all fair-minded
persons must admit. Let us trust
that we will never see the like again.
There you are. Can you beat it?
We never knew what depths to which
we had descended until now.
some Fair Questions.
Let anyone who is impartial and
who knows a little about parliamen-
tary law answer these questions:
Was it illegal to offer a motion at an
adjourned meeting to reconsider mo-
lion passed at a previous session?
Therefore, what was wrong about TAX
ing up the Danville matter again?
Was it not proper to deny Danville
he right to vote upon its membership
in the circuit?
Did the same reason exist for deny
ng the right to vote on president?
Did not President Sexton have PEI
feet right to break the tie?
Did not President Sexton have the
option of refusing to vote if he wished
o do so?
Let those who are knocking now say
whether there was anything in the
inc procedure of the northern clubs
hat the southern clubs themselves
would not have used if they had had
he gumption to initiate it.
Wanted Only Half.
Remember. also, that the northern
.Iubs were fighting, not for the chance
O arrogate to themselves the manip-
lIation of league affairs, but for an
wen break, with an outside man as