The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-15

on earth and in heaven L doubt
not most of them would greatly
rejoice if the citizens of Meadvle and
Crawford county were to raise $50, 900 in cash,
the people of the patronizing territory $780,,
900, and then induce the honored president
of its board of trustees or some other large
hearted and liberal minded man or woman,
to add $500, 600 in cash and make further pro-
vision for, possibly, one or two millions
more even if it were afterwards to bear the
name of such benefactor. If such results
are sad mistakes, would to God all our col
leges and so:called universities might expe-
rience them.
To come nearer home, in our neighboring
city of Indianapolis there were once nearly a
dozen Methodist churches called by the
names of Wesley, Strange, Roberts and 9TH
ers. Now every one of them bears the name
OF the street. or park. or avenue upon which
it is situated. In the same city the North
western Christian University has recently
changed its cumbersome name to Butler Uni
versity" in commemoration of its largest bene-
factor. 1.-THE Indiana Asbury University is
only one of a half dozen names proposed
and was selected, after several ballotings, by
a meager majority. No one ever gave it
dollar under this name which would not as
readily have been given under any other. 1t
was the thing-the need of Christian school
of advanced instruction-not the name, that
had merit in it, and that was always insisted
upon, and that secured favorable response
from contributors. 1t has received from
Asbury only what it partakes in common
with universal Methodism. Such grand old
men as Aaron Wood, John Kigler, John W.
Julian, f. c. Holiday and others gave it,
about forty years ago, 500 each, though it
took them several years 70 pay it out of their
pitiful allowance of some $500 a year. And
now these veterans are shouting happy that
they live to see the day when giving and get
ting others to give, hundreds and thousands
more they can help, under any name, to
make it in fact what it was then only in re-
mote possbility-a university. To many of
its patrons the term Indiana is the
dearest of the four words in its title,
for its patronage is large outside of
Methodism. If the good people who
feel themselves called on to teach our
500 preachers and 135, 900 members what
should be done here in Indiana had been as
forward to establish and endow an 'Asbury
University" the way was, and from the be-
ginning has been, open for them to do so.
As it is, the complaint that others have not,
as they suppose, done right, and the effort
to rally people to endow an institution on
that score, is rather poor cry. The bad source
of such complaints and the insipcerity of
such a plea may be reasonably expected, 1
respectfully suggest the jealousy and zeal of
snch may be "a little previous" They may
find so far as it can be true of any, that we
still have presumption right to the name.
In fact, only a college, not university has
been erected and maintained in honor of the
apostle of American Methodism That honor
is al least as dear to us as to those who as
sumo to be its special guardians. They need
not wonder if one of the best colleges of the
several ones comb ined in "DePauw UNIVERSE
ty'' continues to bear the name and perpetu-
ate the fame of Asbury.
STILL while with gratitude to God we revere
and love the memory and deeds of former
worthless we are not called on to forget what
is due to those of our own day. When such
a man as Washington G, De PAW, with the
entire accord of his wife and children makes
such a princely contribution to Christian
education, do not envy the head or heart
of any man or woman who grudges him or
them the poor acknowledgment of attach
ing the family name to an institution thus
vitalzed, and brought at once to a plane of
efficiency and usefulness which it Otherwise
might, as has been the case with our Oldest
American schools, have taken centuries of
poverty and weakness to attain. At least so
it has seemed best to as good and true men
heTe as are to be found anywhere. Our
joint board of trustees and visitors
as we'll as the people at large
have felt that it would have been not
only ungenerous but unjust to ask so much
even of millionaire, without due return
They have, therefore, with singular unanim-
ity and enthusiasm, insisted on the ar
rangement made. They know the man, and
that this, though the largest, is only one of
the many noble things he has done and con-
templates doing. They desire, and have a
right to see that itshould be monumental if
for no other reason, to provoke others to emu
late the virtues of one who, on such scale
and for so long, has been forward in every
good word and work. Brother DePauw has
with difficulty been brought to allow the
change, at least al present His. reluctance
is based. not on any sense of wrong but on
sensitive regard for what previous expert
ence in giving largely to benevolent objects,
and his knowledge of poor human ma
ture, led him to expect. However deserving
the object, however pure the motive, there
will always be those ready to discount the
satisfaction and even to abuse, misrepresent
and wreathe crown of thorns for one whose
gifts, rightly understood, are TRANSPORTED by
the love of Christ, and His cause. which
prompts them.
1t may be of interest to your readers to
know more about the inception and progress
of this work Some years ago DIR. ]. j. Hight
OF Cincinnati, became incidentally aware that
Brother DePauw had, before leaving with a
part of his family to spend year or two in
the old world, made liberal provision in his
will for the founding of an institution which
would be university in fact we'll as in
name. Though no one, perhaps, more fully
carries out his Masters orders, Let not thy
left hand know what thy right hand doeth,"
still in various ways NJ uch of his beneficence
became known. When offered chief posi-
ton in State affairs he declined the nornina-
ton, saying he desired to give what time he
could spare from his business to the interests
of the church and of Christian education.
The latter has long been near bis heart and
it is no wonder that one whose all is conse-
Grated to the Lord should appreciate so
highly this grand way of doing good in the
church and in the world Though not de-
sired by him, still, through the above chan
mel, his purpose became known to the trus-
tees In common with himself those most
worthy men had fostered and built up in
Greencastle an institution second, its friends
believe, to no other Methodist school
in the country. He and they, and many
other noble men and women had been gen.
erous contributors to this end. Notwith-