Waterbury Evening Democrat

THE BASE BALL SUIT.

Though there is nothing decisive in Judge O'Brien's refusal to grant the injunction prayed for by the New York base ball club, to restrain Mr. Ward from going over to the brotherhood, his decision is clearly a point in the brotherhood's favor. The league, under the national agreement, made the player sign contracts having in them the reserve clause, which gave the club the right to retain his services for the following year at the same salary as before, in spite of any offer of higher pay he might have from other parties. If he refused to play, then, under the national agreement, he was debarred from playing with any other professional club in the country, and consequently of his livelihood. If, under this pressure he again consented to play, a similar contract, with the same obnoxious clause in it, had to be signed. Thus the reserve clause was used as the means of making the players practically the slaves of the monied men in the business of professional base ball. In spite of the fact that Judge O'Brien recommends that the case be brought before a jury it will be practically impossible to find twelve unbiased men who would decide against the player in such a case.