Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-30

A MEETING is soon to be held at
Grand Island TO consider the mat
~ ter OF organizing a state base ball
4 n league In Nebraska. This prop
osition is one we have commended
for several years as both feasible and de-
sirable. Nebraska has the three essentials
to such an organization-enough towns Of
the necessary size. an ample supply Of
players and abundant base ball spirit to
afford the ~patronage-the sina qua non,
the modus %openandi, the wherewithal. II
does seem that a state league might be
operated on a successful financial basis.
Towns like South Omaha, Grand Island,
Hastings, North Platte, Columbus, Ne
braska City, Beatrice and several others.
are large enough for home teams of more
than the ordinary amateur class. Nearly
All OF these towns have abundant material
right at home, but for that matter thew
could supply any deficiency without going
beyond the boundary lines Of the state II
necessary. Nebraska is peculiarly well sup
piled with fast young base ball players.
Scarcely a hamlet in the state but has its
team, and the strange thing is that some
of the fastest teams are to be found in
the remote corners Of the state. Not a
state In the west, unless II be California,
has sent into the major leagues a larger
number and better grade of ball players
than Nebraska. Why not give this ma
terial something to do at home while avail
able for home consumption? The state is
and for years has been aflame with the
passion for base ball. Why not crystalize
It? With Omaha always in the van with a
fast Western league team-and, perhaps.
some day It will be in faster company
and Lincoln up there with a good club.
there is every reason why other cities OF
the state should band together In a Ne
braska league and help swell this tide OF
base ball enthusiasm.
John M. Lynch has scarcely warmed his
seat till he finds 1t necessary to serve
notice on Charles Webb Murphy. the little
fellow most instrumental in securing Pres
tdent Lynch's election, that he and not
the Cubs owner is president of the Ma
tional league. When Murphy and his CO.
conspirators were Matching their plot TO
Gust from an office he had filled with
honor and ability, John Heydler, we sug-
gested in these columns hat no National
league president who did not fawn at Muir
phys feet and do Murphy's bidding would
ever be acceptable to Murphy, and when
John NJ. Lynch was elected, we ventured
to predict that he was not the man to do
this and would in time incur Murphy's dis
pleasure just as Heydler incurred it when
he refused to decide the Pittsburgh Chicago
controversy In Chicag> : favor, without
reference to the facts In the case. And
now, before the beginning of the season,
President Lynch has occasion to rebuke
Murphy in a public statement. Murphy at
tacks the playing schedule, which the
committee adopted. for no better reason
than that It does not seem to contemplate
the interests of the Cubs to the exclusion
of all other teams. President Lynch in
forms Mr.. Murphy in polite language that
the committee, in drafting It's schedule,
did not %confine its attention to the inter-
ests of any one club, but rather looked to
the interests of the entire leaghe. Then
he delivers to Mr.. Murphy what a sensitive
mar would regard as a sharp, singing re-
buke. Il do not expect the committees
report to meet with unanimous approval
he says. hut 1 do expect common cour-
tesy from club owners AS to Murphy
personally, President Lynch says: II wish
to state that he is expressing only the
views OF C.. w Murphy, president OF one
club in our league. He does not speak for
the National league" If the other mag
mates In the league will give President
Lynch their cooperation In the courageous
stand he has taken they will aid to bring
the National league back up to the high
standard from which such men as Murphy
dragged It. And In the meantime we may
expect IAttie Charley to go to setting on
another conspiracy to hatch a man who
will not say Murphy does not speak for
the National league" If Murphy takes up
the gauntlet thrown down even before the
training season is on and declares war
against Lynch he is likely to put in the
busiest year of his life, for the fans, and in
all probability the other team owners,
are going to stand by a man OF John
Lynch's caliber in preference to a man OF
the Murphy stamp.