The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-11
FARRELL UPHELD
BY COMMISSION.
National Baseball Body
Decides Against Pres
ident Williams.
REGARDS DRASTIC
ACTION NECESSARY
II Now Rests With Clubs.
, Friendly to Roanoke Man
Whether They Will Con- Il
tinue as Members of
League or Go Without y
the Sport This Year. q
ISDccial to The Times Dispntch.l

H.
Z Cihrinnati, ONO reuruaVy lv.--The 4
Natiunul commission To uay decided
tnG DlS uiSputG III tho Nir5,nin League Y
In favor OIL the Kicnmonu thcIion. and
against President wiIiiaIns Luu ms tol-S
loving OF three ciuus ms action was y
taken after carciuiiy gong over all (
the testimony furnished ny bolh slices
to the unfortunate cunLroversy,,tho#
commission upnolulngt The ruiInE OF E
Secretary Farrell and Tie Nutionai d
board OF Arbitration IN recognizing
tho Richmond faction IN OPPOSITION TO =
that heuued by President WIlliams.4i
The action of the comm :ssion means
that Mr.. Williams will have To step
down and out us president OF the Nir-S
ginia League, and 1t rests with hiss
three friendly clubs whether they Will
continue a. members OF the league, or
go without baseball for the coming
year.. aF 49,
The commission came = this decision
after long conference between Chair
man Hermann and President Ban
Johnson. of the American League.
These officials agreed correctly on the
decision to uphold Secretary Farrell,
and at once wired their conclusions to
President Lynch of the National
League, who Will doubtless agree with
Lynch should not agree. tho majority
of the commission has voted In favor
OF standing by the board.
Ruling of Conin,iAsiop.
The commission rules that the Ma
tional Board, as represented by DR.. l..
r. Carson. was right in insisting upon
drastic action In the attempt to get
the two warning factions OF the League
together. 1t IS declared mat the VIII
ltams faction refused point blank to
abide by the ruling of the National
Board that they must hold an election
for the presidency with all clubs pres
ont. :s
The Williams element met by them
selves and elected president with
three votes. a decision which the other
three clubs in the league refused to
stand for. When DR.. Gareon went to
Virginia to try to effect q settlement
he found three clubs earnestly sup
porting Mr. Williams, while the other
three were just ms strongly opposed
to his retention. DR.. Carson reported
that Mr. Williams declined to consid-
Ter any sort of compromise. even by
| which he. was to retain the presidency
and allow the secretaryship to go to Z
some one else. DR.. Carson says In his
report that every effort was made to
effect a reasonable compromise. and
that Mr.. Williams refused to listen to
any move which would not leave him
In full control of the league, though
half the clubs in the organization were
bitterly opposed to him. Carson all
! legged that Mr.. Williams IS the most
obstinate man in Virginia."
AS result of his efforts DR.. Carson
came to the conclusion that the only
way to preserve organlzed baseball sin$
Virginia was to recognize the RICH
mond faction. which was willing to
abide by the rulings of the National
Board. while the other three clubs per-
sisted In ignoring all orders OF the
board. So protection was granted TO n
new league. consisting OF Richmond.
Lynchburg, Danvllle and I Newport
News. The three Williams clubs, nance
~, Roanoke, Petersburg anG Norfolk,
were given six days In VIII ch to make
application for membership in this
league to which they are entitled to
belong. There Is no intention of talk
Ing away any OF the privileges of these
three clubs. but it was decided that
they had no right to force a presidenti
on the league who was not in the least
satisfa Glory to the other half OF ths
! membership. The proposition. as it
appealed to the commission. was that
| one half league should not BIS allowed
ito work through an illegal election In
order to foist Its candidate on three
clubs which did not want him. "
Tactical Mistake. III
| : II seems that Mr.. Williams made N
serious tactical. mistake from a ,polit-
allow an election for president ut tho
last meeting OF the league on January
IS. He reuled that his own election by Z
his three friendly clubs, which had
taken place ten days previously, wat
| legal Both the National Board and tho
commission agree that this election
| was Illegal and ought not TO be ac-s'
knowiedged US binding. But it Mr.. VIII
llams had allowed an election. with
all clubs present, as was ordered by, y
ihe board. the result would have bpeIilp
a tie and he would have been able TO
cast the deciding vote In favor Ut 4
himself. Il he had wished to do 90.
niZed as legal under the Firgina
| tieaGue constitution, and would have
| been binding on the league, resulting
In his being recognized as president.
! Rut Mr.. Williams refused to do this,5
insisting that his election by throGs
undoing, ~
Before leaving for New York to-day
Mr. Hermann said:
| We went through evidence on both
4 sides very carefully and. came TO the
4 conclusion that AIR. Williams had never
been. legally elected president OF thaii
| Virginia League for the season OF
lta12. 1t was also very clearly shown
} that he had disobeyed the ruling{so Of
the National Board to the effect that
( OH election must DO held with oil clu},asS
laof, both factions present II swes evil Il
dent that tho league was cleanlys sPfte
into two factions Of seqnal size, and
get together on q friendly geasis, yss3
i{longi as Mr.. Williams !hsists a. on 81
iitaininS the nrasidettay n y w
fiA5tIIudecsS ssns unfortunate con dtttSntt
I'm the league torgan.ksdSshs 5sbas ayssat5,.
Il going 70 Be sersousiy saJarsa