Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-08-16
PRESS OPINIONS
An Eloquent Answer.
beaumont ENTERPRISE

|
| the leading Methodist educational in
stitution of the south, withdrew from
ecclesiastical control in order to COM
ply with provisions that enabled it to
| accept large gift from Andrew Car
negie, not only Methodists but Chris
tons of all denominations doubted the
wisdom of a move that indicated a
tendency to break away from system
OF education fundamental and inteh-
tionally religious. Answering the Car
negie challenge to religious education,
Asa G. Gambler, of Atlanta, Ca, has
contributed $1,O0O,OO0 for the founda-
ton of a new Methodist university in
Atlanta, for the purpose of repairing
the loss inflicted on the church by the
decision in the case OF Vanderbilt
university"
Not because Mr.. Gambler has given
a vast sum of money for the founda-
ton of Methodist school, but be-
cause his purpose is to found a
school wherein education will be fun
damenta1ly and Intentionally reli-
gious is his gift of great and unusual
oment. The tendency of the higher
education is always away from the
religious and in the direction of the
purely intellectual or the purely utili-
tartan. In the opinion of Mr. Gambler,
"the education which sharpens and
strengthens the mental faculties
without at the same time invigorating
the moral powers and inspiring the
religious life is curse rather than a
blessing to men; creating dangerous
ambitions and arOusing selfish pas
sions faster than it supplies re-
straints upon these lawless tendencies
in human nature; stimulating into
activity more of the things by which
men are tempted to wrong than it
quickens the powers by which tempta-
ton is resisted with success"
Moral training unaccompanied by
religious guidance is not the best
moral training. Religious teaching Is
practicable only under sectarian
guidance. Mr.. Gambler recognizes
this fact, and while he declares that
he "rejoices in the work or All the
denominations" of the Christian reli-
gion, he sees no reason why he should
not entrust his contribution for "a
definite and continuous religious pur-
pose" to the church TO which he looks
for religious guidance.
In this the Georgia philanthropist
only follows in the footsteps of the
founders OF the splendid Catholic uni
versity at Washington; of the Chicago
university ond of Brown university
endowed by Baptists; Of Wesleyan,
supported by Methodsts; of Dart
mouth and of other great colleges
M in oi Inv ochvtnriopc LI;c
aim, like that of all the founders of
sectarian schools, is not primarily to
propagate the tenets of the particu-
lar sect he favors, but to insure that
whatever he may be able to invest in
the work of education shall be ad-
ministered by the church, with def
mite and continuous religious pur-
pose." He is not seeking to found an
institution of learning for the purpose
of making Methodist proselytes, but
one that will definitely and consist
emily use his money to promote reli-
gious teaching Gin liberal and cath
olic-spirited manner" He expresses
a hope, and perhaps warning, in the
statement that his church has new
err use it's schools for purposes of
PROSECUTING the sons and daughters
of other churches"
Mr.. Gambler has made splendid use
of his great wealth. He has set
mark for philanthropists, not in the
amount of his great benefaction, but
in the broad spirit of religious toler-
ance he has shown while at the same
time adhering loyalty to the church in
which he was raised.