The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-21
CHURCH WON'T LOOSE ITS HOLD
ON VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
WEIGH FEELS HAMPERED.
A. q Result BlshOp EIcndFlx. Head Of
Trustees. VIII Ne Tried. the Chan'
eeller and 10 TRUSTEES WIN he Elected
WIN. q. Vanderbilt Opposes ChuPrh.


Trustees. Wtn Ne Tried. the Chan.
eellor and 10 trustees WIN he Elected
WIN. q. Vanderbilt Opposes ChuPrh.
MEMPaIs, Tenn. June 20 Bishop z. r.
Hendrix Of Kansas City will be- cited for
trial before committee Of twelve elders
OF the Methodist Church in sixty days.
Chancellor J. n. Kirkland Of Vanderbilt
University will ba removed from his
ONCE by the Methodist College Of Bishops
next month. and nineteen members ~ the
board Of trustees 81 the university will be
elected from their trusleeships for iusub-
ordination and defiance Of the Church.
AhWsuit will bs brought in the Federal
Court. perhaps az Nashville, Tenn. where
Vanderbilt University 10 located TO en-
force che rights Of ownership and control
Of the property by the Methodist Church
South and 70 force the present trustees
IN accept tho three trustees elected at
the recent general conference at Ashs-
vile. NC.
This IL the present situation with re-
gard 20 the controversy that has ragged
around the university for the last FIVE
years. William X. Vanderbilt head 81
tho great family that has 30 literally
endowed this Methodist institution. has
openly espoussd the cause Of the trustees
who are in rebellion against the Church's
authority. lie has written Chancellor
Kirkland letter in which he says that he
has always understood that thu board
of trustees was a self-perpetuating body
and that the Methodist Church did not
own or control the university. Bishop
Hendrix is the president Of the board Of
trustees.
Az the recent General Conferences the
Church vent on record by practically
unanimous vote ~ holding that the uni
veruity belongs In fee simple 10 the Metho-
dista ~ the South and instructed the
College Of Hishops. % which Bishop Hen.
DIRK = . member. to take all legal steps
10 enforce THE claim aud the rights 81
the Church IN the institution
when the hoard Of trustees met last
week Il rejected thres trustees that the
church had elected 20 Oh vacancies and
snblpd a resolution that aGlrmei the
Ownership OF tho church hishop Hen
Dirk was with the majority in both votes.
and this constitutes the sum and sub
stance Of his Offending.
Nothing within the recent history Of
Southern Methodism has 10 stirred up the
| Church a. HE action ia this matter and
Il h known here that charges are being
prenarcd and will he filed soon with the
college OF Bishops indiCting him for in
STANDARDIZATION and defiance 81 the Law
Of the Church Three travelling elders.
/ one Of them a member % the board ui
trust 81 the university, are preparing
the hin Of indictment When q i IRE
scented the senior Bishop ~ the entire
college will appoint a committee 81 twelve
elders. who viii act a. a grand jury
II this committee finds trial necessary
the Bishop will be- suspendei from the
| functions Of his Office for four years until
I the meeting OF the next General CULier-
enoe, when he will be- tried before the coin
mittee on episcOpacy That will remove
/ him from any control over the affairs Of
/ the university A. well ~ suspend him from
an the Offices OI ministry.
Acting on legal advice given by dozen
Of the most prominent lawyers IN the
south the College OF Bishops. which will
INSET July no. will remove from Osics th
nineteen members Of the hoard o. t~'i,.
OF the university who dsd Vi ths riglr,
OF the Church. This power Of removal
| thew have as visitors 60 tho university
| In a decision handed down by a commits
son created by the General Conference
Of 1909. TO which the board Of trust aud
the Church through Bishop Hoss and ths
board Of education submitted their con
tsntiOns.
Chief Justice s. r. c. Orear II the
Kentucky Court Of Appeals was the
chairman Of this commission and wrote
the opinion. After losing its case before
/ the commission, from which " haa. no
riRht OF appeal. the errant members ot
/ the hoard Of trust appealed % the General
| Conferences and lost there. and now they
are forcing the matter into the civil
courts.
Bishop Z. r. Hoss Of Nashville held a
conference here this morning Win ne
counsel Of the church regarding the
status Of ehe case and the advice that
had already been given by learned cOun-
| eel 10 the college Of bishops He ar
/ noatncpd that the hMhk would 90 on b.
I the bitter end and that there vas only
the remOtest possibility Of the church
losing.
be said that the benefector 81 the uni
verMity had been miainformed, a. 10 the
status Of the institution and had made
40 hia mind on the merits Of the contru-
veraV on ex parts testimony and state
msnts furnished BY Chahcellor Kirkland.
He aAid that tho bishops would obey TIE
| Church. sNOself-reapecting man whose
chiof dutv Il was 20 uphold the laws Of
the Church would defy those laws. They
would either ohey or gust concluded
Bishop HOss. -.
This case viii 20 ultimately 90 TIE
supreme Court Of the United States, Of
which Justice n H. l.urton Of Nashville
Il q member. A good many Metlodists
are unwilling 20 submit ths question %
him for adjudication. for the reason Thar
| he has openly espOused the side Of Nhan-