The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-06

Judge Lands Is taking ho!d OF tn
reins of government In baseonIt % %rsf
his customary thoroughness HIS mrs!
move has been to try to get acquainted
with everyone connected with the game
SO as to size them up himself. He mas
read the inside history or baseDall, inc
records Of the work OF the Sa Nay ma
Commission for twenty years, and mas
studied the ownership and stocKhold-
ings Of the major league clubs.
But does Judge Lands realize what
he Is up against in striving 10 ihake
baseball clean and above suspicion? he
probably is just commencing to under
stunI the complications. Already,
campaign Of ugly talk and nagging OPP
position has started. His task Is 60
ing to be tremendous one.
There exists, l find, an erroneous
impression concerning the distln-
guishcd' jurist who has consented to
Sivr his time to baseball. Most Of the
baseball men, especially writer's, VIII
whom ! have talked have him pesse'
wrong" c,oo,a-
Firstly. hc is not radical. second
ly-he is not reformer or "Puri-
tan" Thirdly--he Is not narrow or
selfish; nor is he necdlcssly severe.
He is very human. very loVaole
and lust man who believes in square
deal, who Is liberal toward faults ana
v.rv stern toward studied and delibe-
rate wrong doing. He enforces law
BECAUSE IL is law, whether he approves
OF that law or not. nc k!.TNS s,s,.m
"a that the square deal means apply
Ing the same law to all
rhr embarrassing position OF the new
supreme head of baseball lies IN inc
fact that he always mas ut''s" ,hat
In baseball He has been chosen tor
The cypress purpose Of cleaning inc
game and keeping 1t Clean
HOW About Officials
That means embarrassment. Can ne
exp,l from baseball players VINO gamoie'
who associate with Wolesslonaa s,tnGsr
lers, and who. therefore,, come unoe.
suspicion and are n peril to the game
and not extend equal punishment u
managers and owners. hos, Ia,
Toe Gedeon, for instance. mas oeeh lee
out If baseball. His alleged offense was
That he had guilty knowledge Of the
living of the Worlds Series ana pet
money on 1t. SO far as / know ne was
not charged with any crooked worS.
John ]. McGraw. MANAGER OF t tns
been for years. He is interested IN
race track in cuba and racing Is certain
y identified with gambling HOW can
baseball cxpcl Gedeon for gambling ana
keep McGaw" ,,o c,,oo On
white Sox, Is said in Philadelphia to De
a gambler The charge Is openly Haae
that he conducts a gambling business,
| have for years considered Bill ElSason
onr OF the straightest. most scrupulous.
is honest of men. ! know that In the
Worlds Series scandal he was stralghter
than string and that he made every
human effort to force his players 10 play
straight. But am too old IN the sport
Ing business to fall for any or THIS
''h1nest gambler" bunk.
There is Stoncham, owner OF the
Giants He is interested in enterprises
with which gambling Is closely asso6-
atcd.
These facts are mentioned merely to
show the problem Judge Lands faces He
liz not coming into baseball to smash the
whole fabric and reform" everything.
That is not his type. Neither Is he the
man To compromise matter Of right
and wrong. nor project anyone because
Of position.
If he should decide that. because they
gamble owners and managers are as
dangerous as players. he would not hest
tate to order them out OF the game
and-wcll then the fun would start
Ends Are ovcrwortsd
At the ArmyNavy game met vet.
cram eastern football coach, and asked
him why good ends are so scarce this
season. I remarked that the persons se-
lecting various "All" teams have scores
Of candidates for other positions and
very few ends are northumberland more
n-Amcrican" callbrc.
Truth is" he remarked. that there
arc more good ends this year than ever
before"
expressed establishment.
Coaches will tell you" he said.
Of material whenever possible 10 put
the best mon Mt end. Harvard. for in
stance, had six ends good enough for
the varsity; Princeton had three corking