Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-08
FEDS IN TERRIBLE STEW
OVER Loss OF PLAYERS
Blow Furious Blast Against O. e..
Because of Recent Double
EIOps.
GIIMOEE is VERY ANGRY
Says Bluff and Abuse Failcd-Now
Old Leagues Are Resorting to New
Weapons OF Contract breaking and
Decentralization.


Federal League officials. including
James ~ Gilmore. president; Robert
b. Ward. vice-president. and William
f.. Robertson. OF Buffalo constituting
the executive committee OF the indie
pendent circuit, insist that recent
events in the baseball war have made
1t possible for them to count upon At
least one faction in organized base
Dali TO hurl a boomerang in favor OF
tho Feds. In the Eastern office of the
Federal League statement was given
out in which the executive committee
declared that no player enlisted with
the Federal League had jumped an
actual contract The statement CON
tinucs:
Tactics which bring discredit to the
DiaHeiS ana promoters of baseball have
been used In several Instances since
the Federal League suit has been in
the hands Of the court. One specific
charge against the Federal League was
that OF signing Charlie Deal, OF the
Boston Graves Hut. after Ban John
son and John *. Tcner had emitted
typical blasts Of Indignation and SOL
einnly questioned the propricty of such
an act, with case pending in the
courts. James l.. Gaffney, president
or the Braves and erstwhile employer
of Deal. frankly stated that he had
given Deal permission TO go where the
player would better himself Mr.. GAIT
ney admitted that he had no hold on
Deal under legal or baseball law This
widely heralded arraignment OF the
Federal League was thus disposed Of
rs unloundcd by man In organized
baseball who had the temerity TO
speak his mind along comm on sense
and honest lines.
Specific instances of inducing play
ers to break contracts and put them
selves in position for other breaches
..f .Nt,a l,.,s
organized baseball In the cases OF
Walter Johnson. Ray Caldwell. Ivy
Wingo and Poll Perritt. Not one of
these players was legally held by or
ganized baseball The most recent
case, that of Perritt. gives splendid
line of the straits of some of the pow
crs in organized baseball
Permits contract with the st. Louis
Cardinals expired last fall. and he
signed with the Pittsburgh Federals.
receiving $4,000 in advance money. Or
ganized baseball commended that Per-
rift was held by an option clause in
his 1914 contract with the Cardinals.
Organized baseball had 80 much faith
in the option clause that IT authorized
John McGraw To travel through sew
eral States in the South to round up
I'erritt and Sign him to = new st. Louis
contract. Later. Il scout for the New
York club got Perritts signature on
a contract for three years.
"Niewing 1t without bias, does not
the course pursued by organized base
ball constitute an admission of the fact
that 1t had no legal hold on the pitch
CIR? Had Perritt been the property OF
the Cardinals the easiest course would
| have been that OF taking legal action
to retain the player. The fact that an
affidavit by Perritt was fled in the
Fcderals suit against organized base
ball should not he lost sight OF.
The aggreSSiVencSS of the Federal
League will not be turned into such
channels as those followed by organ
lied baseball. II the men supposed to
he in control do not practice honorable
business methods. there can be only one
course left for the players.
After every bit of ammunition has
been exhausted by organized baseball
in trying TO uphold that might is great
err than right in this controversy,
there will be II permanent place for the
Federal League as practitioner along
the lines OF business deccncy In deal
ing with affairs of the national game.
Fans, who from the outset of the base
ball war. have sought only peace and
honorable adjustment of the differ
ences. have had 4 chance to compare
methods and men. The findings, II
based on fair play principles OF study,
can bring only additional supporters
To the Federal League cause.
Having found it impossible to get a
hearing in the Middle West or East,
Ban johnson was obliged to go to the
Pacific coast TO get an audience for his
Fed killing specially. BLUM and abuse
! have lost ground so rapidly in the
tight that the new weapons of con-
tract -orca king and decentralization
have been brought In by organized
aseball in defiance of the standards
OF decency which should surround tho
national game. The Federal League
as body. the men in organized base
ball who have enough sportsmanship
to put principle on the same shelf with
their pockeibooks. and the fans at
large control the baseball OF the future
Every revelation OF inside b&seball
as played by the magnates adds to the
against the coterie of men who. hav-
ing failed to kill the Federal League
by bullying methods, dragged the honor
and manhood of the national games
opponents into the disgusting mess
made by the stubbornnesS of men who
having been wrong In their predictions
of an early death for the Federal
League. recklcssly turned their weapons
on the fundamentals OF the game itself.
The convenient method of blaming the
Federal League has been abused to
such an extent that the fans have been
awakened 10 truths. and winters
study of conditions has put the public
and press in Il mood for weighing men
and methods. The Federal League has
faith in the Judgment of this jury