, 1923-04-01
union IDEA WAS
TO remove BAN
ON BANISHED SOX
Promoter Also Attorney
for 0usted Players.
BY I. z. SANBoRN.

Delay in he development of the so
called Baseball Players union into a
going concern has led to various ru-
mors designed to explain why the new
organization has not been completed
by the choice Of officers, etc, unless Il
has been done underground
The chief cause assigned by the world
OF rumor for the failure of the new
union to function publicly. after being
dormant most all winter. In that tho
idea behind the movement originally
was to compel the powers that control
organized baseball to remove tho ban
against ball players who have been
punished for alleged crookedness, nota-
bly, the eight former White Sox who
were involved in the worlds series
scandal of 1919.
TIL arguments used to make this IL
PLANTATION hold up are thai the Milwau-
kee attorney who sponsored the new
organization is h same person who
represented some of the banished play
ers in their suits to force their rein
statement; also that the union has been
Joined by only a few American league
players compared to the ease with
which members were obtained IN the
National league. Naturally, IL is ex-
IlulltOt Iht lhAStA9 u Nho
which profted In prestige by the throw
ing Of the series are not as bitter
against the culprits as the players OF
the league which was double crossed
Banished Players Not Convicted
1t is difficult to believe the foregoing
reports are true, because it is contrary
TO common sense that any one can be
so blind to the serious effect 1t would
have on the baseball public TO permit
players under grave suspicion to re-
turn to professional baseball. or course,
It is true none of the banished players
was actually convicted by h courts
Consequently in the eyes of a lawyer
such players ought to be as free to en-
gage in their profession as any pick
pocket or short card gambler who has
been clever enough to pull of some
thing and escape conviction.
Baseball is different, but they hars
funny ideas in Wisconsin, and particu-
larly in Milwaukee, judging by their
politicians and legislators. so perhaps
the atmosphere a crazed the attorney
who fostered the new players union
He may actually have imagined that
the baseball +" proletariat would rush
into n scheme to tear down the founda-
uOnS Ol "a pIOktSSAOAlAA apNA ~ $3.50
sake of some former pals who are
being oppressed by the diabolical cap
italism of the promoters. IL that was
the idea It could have been spawned
and matured only in Wisconsin.
Much more reasonable is the theory
that the Milwaukee lawyer who started
the new union got the idea from the
knowledge Of baseball law which he
% obtained while attempting to restore
the banished players to good standing.
Some Points Would Not Hold.
There are some points in the code by
which organized baseball is governed
which would not hold in a court of law
perhaps, where guilt or innocence,
right or wrong. frequently depend on
mere technicalities- Attorney Cannon
may have started out with the honest
ambition to put professional baseball
on the common law level so that ball
players could enjoy the sSme freedom
as other classes of wage n
The right to strike for all the re-
eeipts of a club during a season, the
right to make one club owner bid
against another in d~isposins OF their
services, and the right to demand sep
arate private cars instead of merely
separate lower berths while travelling,
are some of the things some of the
players might welcome as a change
from the existing system.
II the Milwaukee lawyer could re-
duce baseball to a common law basis
he probably could get some OF these
things for the proletariat player-tem-
porarily.
Have Not Forgotten Past Failures
But the slowness with which the
players seem to have fiocked to the
membership roll of the new organira.
ton would indicate that n considerable
number OF them have not forgotten
the failures OF all previous players
unions, OF which tho original ono OF
1890 was most ambitious and apparert-
ly assured of success. Tho old Broth
erhood went on the rocks. chiefly be-
cause every member OF It was suspi-
clous that every other member OF Il
was going south with more than his
share OF the coin.
Baseball is not SC badly run now
that a union could improve the lot Of
the players very much.
TTyFRx