The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-08
NEED PROBE FOR
BASEBALL TRUST
POOR DOwN-TRODDEN PLAYER
SHOULD HAVE HIS RIGHTS
PROTECTED.
HIS AWFUL POSITION
CHIEF JUSTICE OF SUPREME
COURT COULD REJOICE HEARTS
or FANS ny RULING
ON QUESTION.
HIS AWFUL POSITION

Organized baseball has been found
out II Is nothing but gigantic
trust. COMPARED To II the old stand
ard Oh monopoly was a harmless lit
tie holding company, the steel trust
mild little get-rtch quick scheme
and the harvester trust puoitc
benefactor. Even the money trust is
decent compared to organized base
ball.
We'll. 1t has been found out and the
Sherman law is to be invoked against
it, The sherman law, no less.
This state of affairs has grown out
Of the late troubles OF the Virginia
League when the grinding, monopo.
listi. hand Of organized baseball
clutched three Clubs in the Virginia
League, shook them up, spanked them
and told them to be good and behave
Themselves. Old Giant Eiundebore,
o. whatever his name, was never a.
moro horrible being Than the terri
hje gian Organized Baseball. But
some bold little Jack the Giant killer
with his trusty-lusty weapon, knoN II
as the Sherman Law, il going TO get
after that great giant and lay him
low.
What Mr.. Fan Can DO.
What's that. Mr.. Fan? Who said
so. Ny, what a foolish question! Ex-
erybody Is saving so. If YOU don't be-
lieve it ask John Dunn. for he heard
lit from a friend who heard it from
a. relative who was told by the secre-
tary to the secretary of the third as
sistant secretary to, Secretary Wick
ersham.
You Just wait, Mr.. Fan, Walt till
the Sherman law is turned loose on
organized baseball. Just wait. keep
| on waiting. but wait. That's all YOU
will have to do is wait. but there Is
no way Of telling how long you will
wait.
| But; for fact, organized baseball:
| is q great trust. Whether it is a
moroplo monopoly in restraint -
| trade is another matter. To invoke
| interesting. Chief Justice White rul-
ing on the question would raise base
ball to a pinnacle never dreamed by
| the most fantastic fan.
Chance for Chief Justice.
| II he should rule that 1t comes
within the meaning Of the law as
4 lately determined BY the Supreme
Court of the United States and thai
| 1t Is a good" not wicked" trust
| would be worthy the pen of the late
Mr.. Gilbert and the music Of the la
/ NJ T.
Smith and Victor Herbert could not
| do II Justice in these days of musical
| comedies.
! To be sure organized baseball has
| been called the Irishmans flea:
! when you put your thumb on him
! he isn't there This great truth was
established when the Philadelphia
club. of the National League. wen,
| to the courts of law in the case OF
Lajoie. Bill Bernhard and two other
| scarcely less famous players. in the
| early days OF the American League
The Pennsylvania courts enjoined
| club, but the Phillies, yet they play
| ed with Cleveland everywhere, but
| in Pennsylvania. much to the regre!
| OF the Quaker City fans. who wanted
| to see them in action against the
| white elephants.
Baseball il Courts.
Somehow the fans never seemed 10
| like the idea of baseball getting into
such matter Of fact affairs as the law
courts. All they want Is baseball
| games.
| cutting organized baseball under the
! slavery law. or some other impressive
statute which fcrhidS the owning OF
men by an individual or set Of indi-
| viduals, but he never pressed the
case. So that question. too. remains
unsettled by the Supreme Court Of the
United States. 1t should be brought
to the attention OF that august body.
Alas! those poor slaves. the poor
| trod -downden-or Is it down-trodden
k-baseball players. They have to
saiaries' - So
just Think OF Il!
Think OF them being compelled TO
go into training camps and obliged
to get out and toss a ball around, line
out flies and bat grounders, run around
the park, and then possibly run back
to the hotel--excepting when It rams
And it has been raining almost every
day. Think Of them being obliged
to eat steaks with the price OF beef
where IT IL today. Think of them
being allowed only ten hours sleep
after being tucked into bed by a
lot, which can only be compared to
that Of coioratura soprano. and then
think Of the free and enfranchieed
American working man with HIS half
filed dinner pail. and his $3.50 per
day. for only twelve hours work in
the mill
Alas. the poor bail-tosscr. the un-
fortunate iown-troddeu slave. the
serf OF the terrible trust, Organized
Baseball.
Bring on that Sherman actor an
axe?
Signed BY Lynchburq.
Ianchburg. 80 the official bulletin
Of the ,nlnor leagues announces, has
accepted the terms, or has had Its
terms accepted by infielder James
Barth. The Same Is true for G. A.
johnson. Carl Braun. and Albert
Nixon.
Mnck lakes NfcCleaxy.
SAN ANTONIO. March 7.-Connie
Mack. always partial to college hall
players. il particularly interested in
the future Of bull AcCleary. forEs es
captain Of the Pennaylvania State
College haseban and football teams.
As1ylnaHv q nafd IL. ~ - IN ~.o..n.l