Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-22
Continued From Page I.


court will be a great surprise and
disappointment to practically the
whole body OF Methodists In the
South. The knowledge and belief
that the church founded and right
fully ON ned Vanderbilt University
IL too definite and strong to be re-
moved by the statement Of a tech
niCality thought that terhnicallty
have behind II the decision OF SUI
preme court There are churcnmen
alive who know the facts from the
beginning.
For 80 years after the founding Of
the university the church was In
undisruted possession and control
of the same. only about eight
years ago was doubt Of the
church's rights ever raised and
then only after the great secular
foundation and sustentation funds,
such as the Rockefeller and Carne-
gle diversions. entered the field.
A majority of the board Of trUs-
tees. no longer Of the church or else
unfriendly to the idea Of church
ascendancy in education. undertook
7 o discredit both the chuTCh's in
fiuence in the university and its
claim TO ownership. The first ef-
fort was to obtain a new and parti-
san charter This was easily de-
feated when its purpose was made
plain.
Later an attempt was made to get
bill passed by the Legislature Of
Tennessee giving the trustees pow
er TO ALLEVIATE the property Of the
university. ] was then resident in
Nashville, and went personally into
the Legislature and secured, with
the help Of other friends OF the
church the defeat OF the measure
Church Goes to Court.
Seeing that the church's inter
ests were in jeopardy. with the ad-
vice OF Bishop Hoss, who, from the
beginning. was the churchs great
CHAMPION In this cause ! took to
the last General Conference a paper
which asserted the churchs owner
ship and rights, and demanded an
acceptance Of these conditions by
the trustees. The result Of this de-
mand was a cause at law. the trus-
tees refusing 10 comply.
Before the Chancery Court Of
Davidson County. Tennessee, the
church won a sweeping victory as
Il had won before an ecclesiastical
commission Of inquiry. The trus
tees took an appeal from the deci-
sion OF the lower court Pending
that decision. the Carnegie Founda
tion proffered TO the trustees a mil
lion dollars for medical adjunct
on the condition that the university
free itself from the authority Of the
church. The bishops. who had by
two courts been adiudged the visi-
tatorial oyerseers Of the university,
vetoed the acceptance of this gift
as being obnoxious 20 the self-re-
spect of all true Methodists The
outcome has been anXiously await
ed. but confident that the cause OF
the church was written in the letter
OF righteousness not To he mis-
taken. a different verdict was eN-
pected.
This MAY he said. however. that
the Methodists who stand for the
church in this matter, and they
represent nine hundred and ninety
nine one -thousandths OF the whole
will bow to the mandate OF the
court Of last resort. and not hold
themselves above Judges and mag
istrates, though they will feel an
injustice scarcely paralleled In his
tory has been done them
Nashville to Suffer.
The consequences Of this deci-
sion will no doubt be far-reachine
in the affairs OF the church, II will
greatly alter the present education
al policy Of Methodism.
We have at Vanderbilt Cniver-
sity one of the most important
theological schools in America.
That institution viii undoubtedly
be early removed to some other
point Also the church has at
Nashville a BOOK and publishing
house representing more than