Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-21
Federal Lawyer Continues
Scoring Rules of Or
ganized Baseball.
HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES
Declares There Has Been No
Real Modification in Rela-
tionS With the Clubs.

Chicago. Ill. Jan. 21.--A mere
scrap OF paper is what Keene Ad-
dington. counsel for the Federal
league. called a players contract. in
resumption OF his argument today
against organized baseball in the
antitrust suit brought BY the Fed
erals He declared there is no real
modification IN the relations OF clubs
with players despite changes in the
option section OF contracts and elm
ination OF the Today clause. The
contracts were changed" said Adding
ton, but the practices under which
organized baseball conducts its bust
ness were not The contract was de
signed for use in court, and the rules
Of the national commission still
govern the game"
Declaring that organized baseball
was a huge monopoly employing a sys-
tenn by which IL coralled baseball
players and held them as slaves and
human chattels throughout their ca
reers, Attorney Keene II Addington.
general counsel for the Federal league. I
yesterday opened the gigantic anti
trust suit OF the Feds against the Ma
tional and American leagues and the I
national commission
Mr.. Addington talked from 1880 a. /
N. till 12:45 p. m, then resumed his 4
speech at 2:25 p. m. and talked till 1
80 p. m, when Judge Lands of the I
United States district court called the \
combat on account of darkness.
The principal assault was on the
reserve rule OF organized baseball. At
Lorney Addington stated at the outset
that he purposed 10 show the court
hat organized baseball for the last L
years could have operated without the
players contract at all; that the con
tract was employed only as a means
IF holding the player in a court trial
should an occasion ever come where
.ourt action was necessary
Many Cases Cited.
In ,bringing out that point the attor-
ley went through reams and reams
II evidence and cited case after case
md decision after decision which had
,een handled by the national commits
ion, his effort being TO expose the
system employed TO get control OF
he entire supply Of ball players. not
or the purpose of helping the player
o advance. as claimed by the commits
ion, but mainly TO prevent any other
organization from entering the field of
'aseball as a competitor.
After producing the vast quantity
Z evidence. the Feds attorney wound
ID that part of his speech with a fiery {
urinary. again emphasizing the point i
Z the system" which controls the {
estiny. the salary. and the abode or 1
he PLAYER throughout his career Then S
q pronounced the baseball contract :
{ o B. a mere sham. and the reserve I
st everything which can hold the {
layer through life. '"But these con- y
racts now have been rescued at the
resent time from their musty
helves." said Addington, only as ar
uments for the court proceedings"
II was an epochal day for the ma
onal game. Never in its history had
been dragged into court in such a,
ieantic case Sitting in the court ID
,om were more than 80 men, promi-
ent in major league baseball They u
anne from all points of the east and
IiddIe west Seven attorneys sat at
lie table of organized baseball, along n
Ith Garry Herman. Ban Johnson, "
i'd John X. Tener. the three members II
the national commission Over on ~
le other aide OF the room sat Presi- ~
ant Gilmore OF the Federal league. N
ith one OF his club owners and three
.torneys. r B. Ward OF Brooklyn II
as the magnate. ii