Perceptions differ as to O'Loughlin's tolerance for disagreements. In 1911 he said, "I wouldn't give a snap for a player who wouldn't kick if he honestly thought he was right. Umpires have to stand the brunt of kicks, but if the player is one of the kind who is always thinking of winning and makes his kick and walks away, I don't mind it." However, the following year Christy Mathewson wrote that O'Loughlin was "the autocrat of baseball" and that he "refuses to let the players discuss a decision with him, maintaining that there is never any room for argument. If a man makes any talk with him, it is quick to the shower bath." Silk agreed with at least part of that statement. He was frequently quoted as saying, "A man is always out or safe, or it is a ball or a strike, and the umpire, if he is a good man and knows his business, is always right."