Evening star., 1922-08-26
Trouble With "Shuf1in' Phil
Mental Rather Than Moral.

Expulsion of "Shuffiin' Phil" Doug
las from the ranks Of organized base
ball was Endorsed unanimously and
ment was made. There were paeans
Of praise for John J. McGraw and for
High Commissioner Judge Lands for
their action in keeping the game
clean. Since then, however. a note OF
wonder has developed in the discus
sion. Editors, rather. are question
ing whether. after all, the crime was
so great as 1t was made to seem in
the initial proclamations. A decided
difference is seen between the big
pitchers action and that OF men who
actually betrayed their birthright for
a mess Of pottage.
Typical Of the new point of view is
the utterance of the Pittsburgh Lead
er, which. asking whether, after all.
1t was not lust brainstorm." sug-
gests that 'he is more to be censured
for getting drunk than for what he
did when muddled by the effects OF
alcohol mixed with powerful narcotic
drugs. 1t is all very well to strike
highly moral attitude and summarfly
condemn the man who has 1allen
overheard. but If the rule against
drunkenness had been followed with
out discrimination the New York
team would not have its present
membership. He is not the only
member Of the team that has been
sanctioned by law and common de-
cency."
1t, Of course. Is accepted that
"crookedness doesn't pay" as the Day
ton News expressed 1t. because
Douglas was even more stupid than
- i Nvr hn-
fore him that should have served to
keep him straight" And the very
fact that he had been forgiven" ear
lier lapses from the road of sobr1ety
and the straight and narrow way
should have been a lesson to him. in
Nthe view Of the Norfolk Ledger Dis
patch, but being what they call rum
dumb from his debauch. not in pos
session Of normal mind, it is not
surprising that he wanted to dodge
the issue and go fishing, especially II
some obliging pennant contender
would be Wiling to pay him IN, money money
is inclined to insist that the expulsion
adds another to the convincing dem
onstrations recently given of the
earnest endeayors of the magnates of
the game to insure unimpeachable
honesty in the sport and & thereby Jus. IS,
the tens Of thousands of followers"
After all, 1.-The trouble seems to be
as much mental as moral, the New
YORK Post asserts, and it believes that
the incident suggests that Judge Lam
dis might hasten the cleaning up OF
base ball by forcing all candidates for
the big league to pass Binet-Simon
tests graded for age sixteen. John
McGraw is being complimented for
promptly putting Douglas down and
out. AS a matter Of fact. John, being
brighter than the average. saw
chance to be right and popular at the
same time" While base ball is the
better" for the expulsion. the New
York Evening World feels certain
that the management should tell the
whole story. The obligation OF ST.
lence to other players and other teams
cannot compare with the obligation
TO tell the whole truth to the support
ers Of the sport" However. no mat
fer what revelations are to come. the
Scranton Times is convinced that ut
served Douglas right" and that "it
would be = good thing for the game
II fans refused to support teams In
| sultlng them by playing Douglas or
| other players who have been banned
| from organized base ball by crooked
work"
The wonder is that there are not
| more players bought and more games
| sold" the Binghampton Press sug-
| rests. because these men work for
! money. and their working years are
| soon gone Traded about from club
to club, with their services auctioned
| of to the highest bidder. they have
| no incentive to loyalty"
The revelation must have a very
disouieting effect upon the base ball
J public" the Waterbury Republican
( thinks, because III such cases con-
tinue to come to light, what conf
dence will 1t be possible for the fans
| to have in the gamer? Somewhat
| similar is the conviction Of the Phila-
!. delphia Bulletin, which points out, in
| addftion, that, while attendance al
| league games is running at low dg-
lures, attendance on amateur and semi
professional ball games is greater
than it ever has been. The non-pro.
4 fessionals are playing the game. And
i the game in the leagues for wha1