South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-27
BARNHART FORCES
HEPLER INTO OPEN
ON LIQUOR ISSUE
Letters Are Made Public by
Candidate as Seeming Bid
for Wet Support.

Forced into the Opeh incident 10
mis- efforts to elicit the support OF
former Congressman Henry A.
Barnhart. of Rochester. and him
self. making their correspondence
pubic, by advertising il in half
page display in the notoriousIy
Wet indianapolis Herald, publish
ed by George Ray eX-convict. etc.
State Sen. George Y. HepIer candi-
date of the democratic nomination
Tor congress. seems TO have thrown
aside all masks. and is making d
straight bid for the wet" vote.
without any reservations. The sup
port, appears 10 have taken up with
him by mail. the question of his
attitude toward the liquor question.
ana women suffrage. and brought
an answer which leaves no doubts
but that Mr.. Hepler Will. IL elected.
vote at every opportunity to repeal
prohibition.
Il am convinced that the dav of
| the lawless saloon is behind US for
ever" says former Congressman
Barnhart in his letter. "and the man
who runs on a saloon platform or
has saloon principles i'm his poliu-
| cal makeup, will be disastrous
candidate for himself and his party. "
| Hepler, I'm reply, makes bold his
position, while admitting that he
voted against ratification of the fed
eral amendment i'm the state legis-
| lature 10y pretending 10 have done
SO because believing there should
have been a referendum - submis-
sion TO the people-though he ad-
mitS that he was able TO vote for
ratification Of the suffrage amend
ment apparently not being so par
tiCular about a referendum. where
liquor is not an issue
Misstatcs Suffrage Attitude.
The record will show that / vot-
ed for the ratification OF the woman
suffrage amendment" says Hepler
"as ] believe and have always be-
leved that woman should have the
privilege of helping TO determine
the nature of the laws which gov
ern her" etc. but his letter does
not explain how. if he has always
believed, etc. he failed to vote tor
the partial suffrage law of Indiana
passed by the legislature of 1917
when he was jim the lower house
| just as nj that time he voted against
state prohibition. That partial sur
frage law was later held unconsti-
tutional by the supreme court. but
those about the legislature at the
time. and who know Mr. HepleI
did not at the time credit him with
voting as he did because of hi,
/ knowledge OF constitutional law. bu
| rather as he then claimed. because
| 'w0man's place is in the home
Hepler i'm his answer to former
| Congressman Barnhart does not re
| fer directly 20 his vote in 1917 or
| state prohibition. when at the tim,
| OF casting il. he had prominen
| brewer Of Indiana seated beside hin
I ON the floor assembly; wedged II
! between him and Rep. Marion Cor
/ ski As TO national prohibition
/ however, he saws, If / had 10 vot'
ON this proposition again in the leg
/ iSlature of Indiana. ] would Vou
| against ratification. Then he pro
] ceeds with a considerable layout o
4 EdwardSeSque and CoXike ''argu
/ ment' about personal liberty aOou
j the soldiers iu Franc and hints a
/ state rights. and the popular Vot
i OF The people avoiding aHV detens
/ 0f the liquor which neither does n
/ condemn. The correspondence FOL
| lows. as Hepler himself has made
public:
Barnhart Wants 10 Know.
Rochester. Ind. Mar. ,6. 1920
"Uon George Y. Hepler.
south Bend. Indiana,
Dear Sir: - Since saw yO
briefly the day YOU were here an
since the announcement Of you
candidacy I have had numerous in
Quiries about you. Some OF thes
u I could answer and some l coul
mot could say that SO far as
ever heard YOU are good demo
crat that YOU are successful farm
er and that YOU are Cutspoken an
honest in both your public and pri
vate life. But when they ask me
] CONTINUED OK PAGE -FOUR.