The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-11-05
COMMERCIALISM
HURTS BASEBALL

More than $4,000 persons paid
more than 100000 not counting what
they poured into the Golfers of scalpers
to see Chicago" team play 'tPhtla-
delphia" team, says The Chicago Elk
aminer.
Not one member of the Chicago
team, save Kane, Is a native Chica-
goan. Not more than three of the ath-
letics are natives of Philadelphia. Yet
the people of Chicago and the people
OF Philadelphia, went wild over teams
gathered from the far hooks and cor
ners of the country, because across
their uniforms shirts they wore the
emblems of the cities.
This is a protest against the com
merdialism of baseball and a plea
for local spirit and for higher sports
manship The Chicago National league
team Is owned, controlled and played
by "uitlanders." FIR
Cubs Not Representative.
President Charles w. Murphy and
G. r. Taft, brother of the presi-
Gent, own the Chicago club, Taft is
q Cincinnatian Of riches. He financed
Murphy and they came to Chicago.
They have made out of Chicago base
ball lovers over 100000, part Of
which the players have received.
The cubs might as we'll be playing
in Visalia, Cal, or Fresno, or Column
bia, Pa, as in Chicago, and then they
would have the same claim to repre-
senting their towns.
The American league, in way, rep
sents the towns 1t purports to rep
resent. John /. Taylor, owner of the
Boston Americans, is native Bos-
tonian. His rival, John Dewey, is a
Kentuckian. showed into baseball be-
cause his brother. after a career in
st. Louis, saw a chance to exploit
Boston and purchased the club.
American League Managers.
Ben Shibe. one of the grandest and
squarest sportsman in the country,
owns the athletics. and is a native
Philadelphian. Mack, his manager. ii,
q down east Yankee of Irish antece-
dents. Frank Farrell owns the New
York club, and John It. Brush is an
indianapolis clothing merchant who
grew rich exploiting Cincinnati and
other cities. Brush owned the Indian
GPO1A0 lE1lL UE1DIG Tie WAT between
the American association and the Ma
tional league. The National league
was weak in Cincinnati and Brush
was offered the club If he would un-
dertake to fight the association. He
refused except on condition that the
National league guaranteed him
against loss.
The American public supports base
ball as a sport more generously than
any other sport ever has been sup
ported. But the moment the American
public becomes convinced that base
ball is merely an amusement enter
prise, exploited in the interest OF for
eign capital, baseball will cease to
attract the crowds or arouse local
pride and enthusiasm.
The exploiters themselves will be to
blame
and promoters are departing from the
idea OF sport and getting back to the
idea Of money and profits.
Commercialism Rampant
Money before sport and sportsman
ship. The spirit of cornmercialisn
and money already is beginning to sal
the life out Of the national game
The cubs have been honored because
of the superstition that they are fight
ing for Chicago's honor. The Phila,
delphia Nationals have received theil
share Of the popular applause. They
have outrivaled and outdrawn thu
worlds champion athletics for years
and even today, with q losing team
they are more popular in PhIiadelphis
than are the champions.
Yet the Phillies are supposed to b,
owned by Charles r. Taft. the backel
and said to be the real owner Of tn
Chicago cubs. TAFT and AIurph.