Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-05-01

ulOIl6y LILO NCW 1Olh ANdbAOAAtAA
Today the Federal League will hold
q special session in New York to de-
eide what course will be pursued. 1t
Is expected that the haste with which
the Feds have come together will
only accelerate action on the part OF
the organized majors in returning
Benny to the Feds.
But the most striking point OF the
entire argument is that In order TO
take Benny back the organized
majors will have to overhaul thelr
entire constitution. When the trou-
BILE between the regulars and the IN
dependents began to brew, away back
in 1912, q rule was adopted covering
lust such q case as Kauff's. 1t was
agreed upon by the National Commls-
sion that any player joining an out
law league and subsequently making
application for reinstatement should
not have a hearing for three years
after the commission OF the offence.
That means that Benny would not be
eligible to play with New York Tor
two more full years unless this ruling
Is changed.
Agree to Abide by Decision.
The New York National League
Club has agreed to abide by the de-
cision Of the National Commission,
whose sentiment is strongly against
the retention of Kauff from all tndl-
cations. Manager McGraw, OF the
Giants, however, has brought up
cases of jumpers being reinstated,
and has mentioned Pol Perritt, Jimmy
Austin and Ray Caldwell. These
players were reinstated without much
ado on the payment of fines, but their
cases were different. Perritt and
Austin never really played with the
Feds, while Caldwell was tied up on
an Injunction. The American League
had to fight also for Walter Johnson
the Washington star, because the
loss of johnson meant the loss OF
prestige.
In taking Kauff away from the
Feds, however, the organized majors
or perhaps the New York club alone
was taking the aggressive. The
player is supposed to have been
signed to a legal contract, which was
not true in the other cases. The Fed
eral League has never dickered with
players having legal contracts. The
case Of Frank Baker right under the
noses of Newark fans is a very apt
illustration. When p. T. Powers
learned through George Stovall that
Baker had a non-reserve and no ten
day clause in his contract, he kept
his hands off.
GIIm ore on way East.
President James A. Gilmore, of the
Feds, before leaving Chicago for New
York, asserted that even now the
Feds would not begin war OF re-
prisal excepting they were forced to
do so. Then the heavy guns OF the
Federal League will be brought into
action.
The Federal League might be lk-
ened to a Samson, who, knowing his
own strength, is afraid to use it for
fear of the destructionNft may cause
If the Feds wished to they could ruin
the National League and profit by 1t,
but the national pastime might suf-
fer and they are true sportsmen and
their motto at all times has been
"Fair play" and 1t will be lived up to.
Seemingly the National Commission
makes a distinction between the man
who merely signs with the Feds and
the one who plays with them. The
case Of Phil Chappelle, however is
one precedent which Governor Tener
has overlooked. Chappelle jumped
reserve clause with the Chattanooga
club and Joined the Tip Tops. He was
set adrift by the Feds after one sea-
son of play, and almost Immediately
signed with the Newark club of the
International League He has since
been released, but not on the grounds
of ineligibility