The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-04-04
VANDERBILT CAN
ACCEPT BIG GIFT
soARo OF TRUST WINS THE VAN
pERBlLT UNIVERSITY
CONTEST.
RELATIONS TO THE CHURCH
Appointments of Board Of Trustees
Subject to Confirmation by the
General Conference.
RELATIONS TO THE CHURCH
-..,.,, S.v,psper Union New. Service.

~..,.r, Newspaper Union News Service.
Nashville, Tenn. - The Supreme
rourt of Tennessee in a unanimous
puinion fixed the relation of Wander
MN University and the Southern
Methodist church, and settled terrific
controversy which has menaced the
dissemination with threats of a schism
for 40 years.
The decision is against the conten-
tou of the bishops. 1t is in favor OF
the board of trustees. The bishops
eontended that the general conference
was the source of authority; that the
church was the founder of the univer-
aty and that the conference had the
dgbt to fill the vacancies on the board
ot trustees. The contention of the
hoard of trustees was that the board
was a self-perpetuating body: that
Cornelius Vanderbilt was the founder
of the university, and denied all the
authority which the bishops claimed.
The decision Of the court was in
keeping with the contention of the
hoard of trustees, except it held that
while the board of trustees had the
right to elect its own members. the
general conference has authority to
approve or reject such members. But
whatever satisfaction might be CLEAN
ed from that announcement by the
advocates OF church control was ruth
kwly shattered by the further hold
ing of the court that the trustees elect
Cd by the board have a right to act
until rejected by the general confer
ence.
The natural conclusion is that when
members of the board elected by the
trustees are sent to the general con-
ference, they will probably be rejected.
This will result in vacancy which the
board Of trustees may proceed to fill
when the conference shall have ad-
journed. In a nutshell, the board of
trustees must hereafter struggle along
With Vanderbilt University as best
they can, without the blessing of the
bishops.
There is nothing in the decision on
which the opponents of the board of
trustees could base the slightest ap-
rehension. It does not alter the
method of control or management,
which has been in vogue from the be-
ginning.
The only significant factor Of the
decision is that the university emerges
nom the tangling limitations of secta-
rianism. without restricting the uni
vesity to the control of the bishops,
he court In its opinion establishes ir-
rerocably Its relation with the general
eonference and identifies it with
Southern Methodism so firmly it will
ever stand as a monument to that de-
Nomination.
The animus of the suit had it's in
cepton in the proffer Of a gift of ST.
10000 from Andrew Carnegie as an
endowment for the medical depart
nent The trustees accepted the gift
snd the bishops Of the church vetoed
NE action and rejected the gift.
The money will now he forthcom-
ing. 1t will, It is believed, make the
medical department the foremost in
he south and the rival of the best in
Ae country.
u will allow the board of trustees to
ANY out their plan Of forming some
WI OF alliance with Peabody Col
sse which they are said to have un-
sT contemplation, and add hundreds
Students to Vanderbilt. On relia-
ae information it is said that the
uustees have reason to expect gifts
SoOo.000 endowment for the aca-
ssnlc department. These gifts, ST.
w0oo already proffered and $4,000
W. reasonably certain. depend on the
~'come OF the law suit. An adverse
secision would have mean the rejec-
son OF Mr.. Carnegie's gift and the
~uer would never have been offered