The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1914-03-27
VANDERBILT CAN
ACCEPT BIG GIFT.
BOARD OF TRUST WINS THE VAN.
DERBiLT UNIVERSITY
CONTEST.
RELATIONS TO THE CHURCH
Annointments Of Board Of Trustees
Subject to Confirmation by the
General Conference.
,estern Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Nashville, Tenn. - The Supreme
Court of Tennessee in a unanimous
pninjon fixed the relation of Wander
biIt University and the Southern
Methodist church, and settled a terrific
controversy which has menaced the
determination with threats OF schism
for 40 years.
The decision is against the conten-
ton Of the bishops. 1t Is in favor OF
the board of trustees. The bishops
contended that the general conference
was the source of authority; that the
church was the founder of the univer-
sity. and that the conference had the
right to fill the vacancies on the board
of trustees. The contention of the
board 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
board 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
lessIy shattered by the further hold
ing of the court that the trustees elect
ed 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 viii probably be rejected.
This viii result in a vacancy which the
board Of trustees may proceed to nh
when the conference shall have ad-
ioUrned In 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 APP
preheusion. 1t 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
from the tanglng limitations OF secta-
rianism Without restricting the uni
NarsItF TO the control Of the bishops,
the court in its opinion establishes ir-
"Focahiy its relation with the general
conference and Identifies it with
Southern Nethodism so firmly it will
eve" stand as a monument to that de
nomination.
The animus of the suit had its in
eoprou in the proffer Of gift of 81
''A09o from Andrew Carnegie as an
endowment for the medical depart
h"Hi The trustees accepted the gift
ana the bishops of the church vetoed
u'e action and rejected the gift
a' money will now he forthcom-
ing. II viii, it is believed, make the
medical department the foremost in
'""'H ana the rival of the best in
the country.
IL VIII allow the board of trustees to
Nd'fF out their plan of forming some
SOFT or alliance with Peabody Col
LeE'' which they are said to have un.
oer contemplation, and add hundreds
., Students to Vanderbilt. On relia-
o' information 1t is said that the
uuStees have reason to expect gifts
" 3-0oo,0O0 endowment for the aca.
oelllc ood department These gifts, ST.
ooo oo'''o already proffered and $4,000
W. reasonably certain, depend on the
9D'ro'oe OF the law suit An adverse
ae''Sion would have mean the reiec.
uon Of Mr.. Carnegies gift and the
e' would never have been offered