The Washington times., 1915-01-21
GiImore's "Iron Man" TaIker
viii Take Up More Specific
Charges in Second Days
Onslaught on National Game.
George Miller viii Lead Defense
Late This Afternoon or Early
Tomorrow Before Big Crowd
of N0tabIes.


charges against organized baseball
are to be heard today when Judge
Lands reconvenes his Federal dis
trict court to hear the suit of the
Federal League for a temporary in
junction against the organized
forces. Attorney Keene Addington,
of the Feds, is booked to do the iron
man stunt and return to the box
again today, despite his five-hours of
word-pitching yesterday. There was
some hope held out today that the
other two Federal lawyers and the
ten legal luminaries on the o. B.
lineup will not consume the same
time at bat Addington has.
Organized baseball officials today are
far from downcast over the verbal at
tack they withstood yesterday. They
point out that they will develop just as
deadly a system of batting attack as
anything the Feds have shown to date.
Judge Lands having set no time limit
on the arguments. it Is not believed
organized baseball forces will get their
inning until late this afternoon or
tomorrow at the earliest. At that time
the captain of the Q. B. team. George
Miller, will lead Off the batting order.
There was another big crowd on hand
at the Federal courts building today.
All available seats were filled early.
The courtroom Of United States Judge
kenesaw NJ. Lands was crowded yes
terday with baseball notables. who lis
tened to the opening statement in the
motion Of the Federal League for an
injunction against the national cornmis-
sion and the two major leagues.
kesne H: Addinston of counsel for
the Federal League was first to take
position before the bar, and he did
not relinquish the oratOrical hat un-
til five hours had elapsed and the
evening shades had begun to gather.
He verbally battered organized base
ball as a huge monopoly Of men and
commercial power that enslaves and
controls vast supply Of skilled labor.
In a dramatic address he stated that
among the charges which would be
pressed were the alleged use Of a
blacklist against outlaws" not within
the charmed circle Of the two major
leagues and the enticement of players
TO jump contracts.
He specifically charged the National
Commission with being a monopoly,
with entering into a conspiracy and
combination. and asked that an in.
that all CONTRACTS he declared null AMI
void. He paid especial compliments
TO the waiver and draft rules Of or
ganized baseball
Your honor. this is a suit brought by
iorty-four minor baseball leagues cover
ing 3Ol American cities and repre- senting
500 PLAYERS. AGAINST two major leagues
OF sixteen clubs employing 800 players"
OF Jurisdiction in the case had been left
Tor Judge Lands to decide. THE con-
troll of the majors over the country's
supply, Of developing baseball players is
association clubs, phrased in adamant
language: 1t is remarkable instru-
ment which seeks to prevent all others
from undertaking the business of base
ut provides for weapons against the
enemies Of organized BASEBALL and we
stand ready to prove that these weapons
nave been used time and again against
the plaintiff and constituent members.
Of the blacklist are among these weap-
ons.
so powerful is the commission that
nothing. can occur in baseball which
cannot be brought up before the COM
mission. and there is no matter in which
It's decision is not final. 1t is an abso-
lutely autocratic body" he s.id. Be
cause Of its great power, a player sign
ing a contract na under It's laws Law ceases to
are concerned. Its contracts are the
most significant thing in baseball.
These contracts give the players no
rights
Attorney .Addington particularly flay-
ed the draft rule He termed it gam
bling, specializing: and a pern!cious
practice, striking In the very heart Of
our American institutional
major leagues send one player to the
minors to be farIned out and then
by August Is either get a better player
for him or take the same man back
He declared that the power Of the
welded without mercy until the Play
ers' Fraternity worked reforms. He
pointed out that in 1918 hfty-one ap-
peals by players out Of a total Of sew
enty-six were denied by the commits
Last year." said Addison, when the
Federals We're stronger. only twenty
one were. denied, while twenty-six were
The waiver rule also was attacked
as an instrument intended solely to
control the PLAYERS actions and throt-
tie his liberties. In discussing this
feature the ATTORNEY cited the case in
was released to the Louisville club un-
der an agreement not to be returned
10 any club in the National League.
This rule, It was asserted. could be
oi ossf she nston 1s Ss.me fisoad man
Before court was called to order a
sort of national reception took place
in the halls and fans were treated to
managers, team captains, pitchers and
hmelight holders OF all positions in
Sa art now legally termed unskillsd