Omaha daily bee., 1913-11-23
Judgments

~ oVERNoR Tener Of PennsyIvania
seems to have settled in the af-
firmative the question of accept
Ing the presidency OF the Ma
ionai league. HE term Of office
Is TO be four years and salary. so re-
ports have it. $4,000 a year. He Is quoted
as saying he viii not abandon his office
as governor. bat serve the term out,
until when OF course, his time will be
divided between the two positions. His
term as governor expires January II, 1915,
and that office payB him $4,000 a year.
50 that financially he win be doing fairly
we'll This will set up a remarkable
spectacle, IN a way. for the governor Of
great state to be acting also as the
head of a base bali league and at such a
salary. But the most significant thing
about the transaction Is that II fixes
more firmly than ever the status OF
base ball as a legitimate and serious and
honorable business. This very naturally
siper1mposes upon the great nationai
game little larger responsibility than Il
has ever yet had to maintain. Il cannot
from now on afford even some Of the
things Il has In the pest, although II
must be said for base ball that in the
main II has borne well and nobly the
dignity OF its position. Now. for the ad-
vantage OF the league and the game OF
John X. Tener. He must prove q most
valuable asset Anyone with a true vision
Of the facts will admit that Tom Lynch
gave the league the best powers he
could command; that he 10 honest. up
right and generally fearless. HIS going.
while ID seems to have been both newt
able and best for all interests. neverthe-
less excites a sanse OF regret for he really.
never had a fair chance to make good on
a large scale. He entered the office under
the bane OF some very relentless enemies.
by whom he has been nagged continually.
Tener is safe from them for at least four
year II not indefinitely. for he ought TO
prove by the very force of his personality
and position that Ban Johnson has in
the American league every time dog in
the manger has tried to bite him.
The National league needs balancing
and a lasting - ana bold and able leader
ship. needs them far moro than does the
American league. for the simple reason
that 1t has too long been without them.
II cannot afford to prolong the hiatus.
1t is most gratifying to have the cordial
sympathy of johnson ana his organisa-
tion In the selection. The closest CO.
operation, without approaching anything
monopoiistic. that obtains between the
big leagues the better all round.
That is an Interesting. but not surpris-
ing story of the projecting OF a fourth
big league" The most interesting fea-
ture OF II Is what White Wings Tebean
is back OF It. II the destiny OF organised
base ball lacked anything 10 steady and
secure its safety. II was the paternal
oversight OF this benevolent exponent
OF. all that Is true and good In the game
George Tebeau. the man who Is known
from one END OF the base ball world to
the other and known alike to all II Il
hard to take this thing seriously. since
Tebeau's name get mixed with IL. The
powers-that-be have been threateniug to
chockmate the Feierals BY planting
teams In their territory and this was not
to be unexpected. but that Tebeau was TO
be the moving spirit In the blockade-who
would havs thought it3 But the move.
itself. n only another proof that the
'maJors'' are merely making out when
they appear indifferent 70 the ostiaws
They are by no means easy as to this
Federal league. and well might they not
be.