The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-02
WHITMAN SAYS LEAGUE
WILL BE BIG SUCCESS
Doesn t Mind Knockers, though 1t Gives Him
More W ork-Contract for I Int at Lee Park
VIII BE Awarded Monday-Lanagraf
III HIS New I ffces

oan player puts dependence In every
rumor ;.noat and believes these rumora
,t they are proved Broundless. IL
Of ,h VINO Gte respvnsiole Tor some
hurting US They are mistaken.
inc olo Barnum PHILOSOPHY Is mine
70 large extent. IL the papers viii
Just keep on saying something about
us We are satisfied. OF course. we
would rather have them say nice
,nihss, but even bad things are better
IN, nothing, Naturally II is causing
me- some Inconvenience. For instance
nave 10 write number OF letters
which l would not otherwise have 70
90 90 But we are getting all the players
want aho the trouble now is III
lions.
he truth of the matter is that the
nls leasues-though We CO not intend
realize that we have the aDsoIutc
cream OF Inc baseball world. Tier. are
no. eight other cities in the United
= ,n Win as great drawing power
as the eiEnt cities in which we will
nae Dali clubs. Take Cincinnati and
SieVelahd These two towns have AL
Ways been big money makers In their
Fitts1ursn. Ne" York. Brooklyn, Read.
ing; Washington and Richmond
II there is any question about how
LEsIcilrmond = Regarded remember that
Erhest l-andsraf. the president OF your
cluo. had the pick of all the cities
IN the circuit anu chose Richmond, IF
ne hadn't believed That Richmond was
= SaeaI to~n he certainly would not
nave selected this city as HIS reward
Tor the work ho did in organizing tits
league.
Thinks Well of Lnndgraf.
- speaking OF that fellow Landgraf,
want want TO say that ne is one of the
hustl!nS man L have ever known IN
baseball he never knows when he is
licked. will fight for q game OF ball
from the frst inning to the last and
might not give Richmond a pennant
winner. but he will be SO close to tho
Top that the fans will know he is in
the race
the published stories about the league
pecause know the calibre OF men ]
am dealing with. In each of the clues
me me franchise is controlled by sub
lists. They know what they are 20
ing against and they believe they have
winning proposition. Everywhere
on an SIDES, We are receiving from the
mat we win be welcome. Though l
nave said II hundred times l want
10 repeat that we are not going to
encroach on anybody's preserves. we
are simply going 10 offer baseball for
the public. Ii the public likes our
wares the public Will buy. II the pub
nc does not like what we offer then
the public will not buy. we arc go
ing 10 respect everybody's contract
and we Will demand that our contracts
be protected and respected.
IF II Is crime for business men
, TO- eSter into legitimate business.
the hope and belief that the venture
VIII be success, then the United
states League is guilty OF a crime. We
do not. however, believe that the nun
yX-l
not concede that any body of men has
d-giren right TO say to any Other
nody OF men that you can't engage IN
this business because we were in i.
first. We believe that such q prin-
cfple is against true democracy and
against that spirit of competition
which is the very warp and wool of
morally. That is the belief OF fG the
men who compose the United States
League.
we are. willing to let the public
which we can be wrong is our faith in
the fair-mindedness of the public we
might be wrong In our business judg-
ment, but most OF US have made sue
eesses in our other businesses. and we
are willing to take II chance Finally.
we are going to give big league base
pail at moderate prices. and this, we
think, will I'LL longfelt want and a
public demand. want to thank all
OF the people OF Richmond for ;he
Kindness they have shown our organ;-
cation and TO tell them that we will
try to show our appreciation by giving
them good baseball"
f. c. Landgraf. the active man In
the local organization. went into his
new Offices yesterday. A telephone
has. been installed. and he will be
glad to answer any and all questions.
Work on the plant at Lee Park will
commence Immediately after the con-
tract is officially awarded and will be