Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1917-09-15

In The first paragraph Of your let /
Ter you state that after four years
OF association with the officials OF
The Martlns6urg club, you are dis.
appointed with them when they
deem it right and proper 10 file
protest and Won assume hat their
action in the matter Is based on
desire to secure the pennant rather
than 10 protect and preserve ideals
Of true sportsmauship in the league.
Let US again assure Won that this
assumption is not based ON any fact
OF which Won have any knowledge,
and IS entirely unwarrautcd, and you
cannot reconcile IL with any Of the
acts of the officials OF our club either
past or present But on the contrary
your letter shows that after four
years of association with our officials
this IS the first time we have filed
a protest OF any character. when. II
We mistake not WE would have been
entirely within our rights had we
filed several during the previous sea
sons based on almost similar CON
ditions and from which the Martins
burg club suffered in like manner
We cannot but feel that you were
aware OF the conditions then and we
are sure that we are justified from
the Statement in your letter that
YOU were conversant with them dur
ing the season Just closed.
We have remained silent during
two seasons and have suffered lie
/ feat under almost similar conditions
when had we not maintained the
ideals of which You speak, it Is en-
! tirely probable we would have won
the pennant every year in the league,
Your statement that our protest is
based on a technieality is unwar-
/ ranted and unjust Your use Of the
word technically" in connection
with our protest shows lack Of
power TO conceive, or desire or I'M.
willingness to understand the prin-
ciples underlying our contention and
/ the vital Importance it bears % the
existence Of the Blue Ridge League.
Why are contracts made? Why
are rules determined upon? Why is
salary limit fixed? The reasons
are so obvious that they are hardly
necessary to state, but that we may
impress upon your mind that We
have just cause for fling pro.
test. we are going to give some
which We believe have direct bear.
ing upon the questions at issue.
We believe that contracts are
made between club organizations and
| players not only to determine and
define the obligations OF such Clubs
and players but in our league to
show at all times that no club Is
carrying more players than Is al
lowed by the rules. and that the
| clubs are within the salary limit
| fixed by the league IT this be not
true, why have any rules FOR the
/ government OF the league? Why
make a great issue of the salary
limit in February If the rule Is not
! TO be effective IN August? How are
! you going TO check up the salaries
OF a club If that club has a number
| OF high salaried players on its ros.
ters VINO are not under contract? Is
/ this not true2 Is not our contention
correct when we demand that all
players playing in the league be re-
| CURED to have contracts Need we
name the club that has broken this
rule repeatedly? DO you know the
club that not only had all the play
ers allowed by the rules at all times
but had sufficient extra ones to loan
other clubs in the league that they
might thereby defeat Martinsburg.
| and advance their chance of win
ming the pennant2 ~ this a techni.
cality? II it IS. we beg to assure
! you that there were several such
| technicalities at all times during the
season connected with the Hagers-
town club.
/ Now as 10 your statement that We
waited until the eleventh hour to
make a protest, and your impugn.
ment of our motives in making the
same II was impossible for us to
know what players the Hagerstowa
club had under contract. and what
PLAYERS they held BY verbal agree
ment unless we were informed by
/ the club or the players.
| The letter from Horsey received
by Manager Morris was brought to
| the attention Of the club officials on
Thursday night preceding the filing
of the protest. Manager Morris was
requested to communicate with Hor-
sey and have him make a sworn
statement Of tho conditions outlined
in his letter. Our protest was writ
ten on Saturday following, and sent
to you by special messenger The
Rolfo.l - G,,l ..,,, 10