New Britain herald., 1915-12-18

credit as Jess Willard would get for | out Kid Broad. The Ma tional league whipped itself, ana it began the whipping process at least four years ago, when it refused to stand by many of it's best ball players and let two or three cut-throats, yegg- men and thugs dictate the policy of the league.
 A Cinch Battle. Tn beating the National league the Feds won the softest battle ever fought. They were up against an in- stitution that had begun to rot both at the top and at the base some years ago. They were up against an insti- tuition that had two or three high class club owners, but that, in the main, outside of these two or three, didn't assay enough sporting blood to keep a gnat from being anaemic.
 Other Counts. There were other counts against the old league which we have brought out from time to time.
 Their yearly meetings, on more than one occasion, were but little above barroom brawls. They were fighting among themselves year after year with a selfish disregard of the best interests of sports that was un- pelievable.
 The two or three sportsmen in the league who had a voice of protest to raise once in a while were howled down by the clamor of the wine openers, the tricksters and the second story sports.
 Started the Feds.
 It was through this decaying wall in the National league that the Feds got started. The National league put the t'eds on the map by showing what wonderful opening there was for any body who cared to break into the game by showing a sick man off the sidewalk.
 But for this inside National league weakness, this soul-corruption of the elder circuit, the Feds would never have lasted out the year.
 They were poorly organized, poorly handled and their cause didn't de- serve any particular success. They gave out the reason for their entrance as rushing to the help of the down. trodden ball player, whereas they were merely a collection of cold blooded, cagy business men, who sunk a lot of foolish money on this occa- sion through ignorance ond for the most part because of greed.
 The Uplift? Where.
 The Feds out to uplift the game ? Where do you get that layout? Give them credit for hanging on where they couldn't turn loose, but when peace was first mentioned, what was the first quoted statement of MT. Sin clair, their main packer? He prob ably took up the ethics of a case for brief debate? Yes-like Kelley did. .I'm not in this game,'' he said, flor glory or for my health. Where do I get off %
 Give him credit anyway for not sub- poenaing the bull.
 That much belongs his way.
 Fine Smear.
 Yes. it was a fine little smear, this baseball war. It was almost as fra grant as a mixture of garlic and cheese.
 Neither the Feds nor Organized ball had any thought of the ultimate good of the game. The Feds would have wrecked the sport for an extra $5 bill. And so would o. B. Don't get that part of it twisted. Hughey Keougn called the turn before he died:-- "Sing song of dollar marks reaching
 to the skies;
 When they talk of millions now it
 causes no surprise
 Magnates on the inside, counting up
 their tin,
 Grafters on the outside. honing to
 get in.
 of hi ho irO
 leagues;
 Darkly limiting treachery, treason and
 intrigues.
 Guesses that are crazy, statements
 that mislead;
 Just an ounce of sportsmanship to
 twenty tons of greed. Money-money-mo till you can
 not rest;
 Reaching for the kale seed! tell with
 all the rest
 The Game Itself.
 Only the proven honesty of the players and the inherent strength of the game itself have kept baseball on the map. Any other sport, football, boxing, etc., under similar conditions would have been throttled years ago.
 Baseball foundered and struggled on in spite of those running it. It lived in spite of the National Commis- sion, worse than joke. That was a fine spectacle that Governor Tener presented, when he was issuing de- nials right and left of truths that he knew to be truths. There have been enough lies spilled around the Wal dorf in the last day or two to make Munchausen and Ananias semi-pros or only summer-playing liars. The truth? Why most of those guys wouldn't tell the truth if it means more money-and that's the acid test
 Sick Sport.
 Baseball is still living, but it is a sick sport. It is sick of its No+;onoI