The Washington times., 1914-04-13

the absolute necessities for the sucesss
or the undertaking. the ball players.
Imagine company OF business ma.
financing corporation and building
factories without the assurance OF
permanent supply Of the crude raterial
to manufacture the refined article for
the market,
This Is not calamity howl or m
tended TO convey the impression that
the whole baseball structure is doomed
to wreckage. Too much money ID in
vested and the public ciamor for prop
eriy conducted baseball 10 two wide
spread to allow the whole plan to be
laid waste. The way will be found to
obtain order from the chaos that Il n
possible to bring about next winter.
When the rehabilitation and re-estzb-
lishment 10 brought about they should
make tor the betterment of the game.
-
just now 1t would appear as thcurh
the Federal League has unlntentionalfy
ana unconscfously done q lasting favor
to or1ani1ed baseball by bringing
sQuareiy before the courts the docu-
ment which many have been misied
;nto believing was binding Upon the
Excepting In compelling a rewriting
OF the contract SO that II viii. In eject,
legally continue the general conduct OF
as it has been for decade.
we do not think that the Federai
League will help baseball. The outlaws
have caused organized promoters to
come to their senses, have Afforded a
wider feld for performers and have, In
more Instances than the public realizes
forced substantial increases In the
Stil. the unbiased must admit that
the demand for good players has long
exceeded the supply. There Is not. nor
ever has been. ball club in the world
nesses in certain positions because of
the impossihility Of obtaining more
capable SUCCESSORS to the men holding
some Of the jobs on the team.
If sixteen major league clubs can
not find sufficient material In the length
and breath OF the country how is the
situation to be improved by the advent
Of eight more clubs looking for the
highest caliber of players? Where there
are too many clubs and too few players
some OF the clubs must be eliminated
Or baseba !. from the artistic viewpoint.
must be the sufferer and the public
must reconcile itself to accepting the
best standard that can be set where
here Is an inequality Of supply and
demand.
In his opinion, the woiverine Jurist
,aid: "The leading authorities, with
one exception, are agreed that
contracts OF this nature can
,either be enforced In equity nor form
smaGes for their breach The reasons
or the decisions are that such contracts
re lacking In the necessary qualities
{ dehntteness. certainty. and mutually.
endants. relative to the reservation OF
he defendant. Killifer. for the season
{ 1914, is lacking In all Of these essen
ial elements. Il II wholly uncertain
nd indefinite with respect to salary and
ions OF the proposed employment. II
} nothing more than a contract to en-
er into i contract In the future, II the
arties can agree to contract !
Although 1t Is founded upon suffi-
lent consideration, IL lacks mutually,
ecause the Philadelphia club may ter
nitrate II at any time upon ten days
Ictice. while tho other party has no
uch option and is bound during the en-
ct. If broken by either party, the other
5 remediless. because the courts arc
ielpless either to enforce its perform
nee o. to award damages for its
theorizing. The overenthusi-
site have long maintained that base
all could not prosper without the
eservation Of the players. II this be
rue. and fortunately for the game It
not. the Michigan decision would
ound the death kneil Of the sport
Considering the conversational yolleys
nat have been 'uninterruptedly fired
rom side to side. both parties would
ave to humble themselves before peace
ould be restored. For one whose
arthly possessions are limited by a
,n-dollar note. 1t might not be the con
of wisdom to bet nine-tenths
his wealth on the proposition OF an
IL 1s.Ns
ng parties. Still. from where We SIT.
looks nightly as though the Ides OF
It March will find the Federals accept
Y peace proposals and arraying them
lives in the breast works of the forces
lat have placed baseball on the highest
ane of any branch of sport or pastime
the athletic universe.