South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-01
COUNTY CHAIRMEN
GONCOCT PLAN TO
SIDETRACK SMITH
G. os h en- Democrats Resent
Program of South Bend
District Meeting.
speclal 10 The Newg- -Times

Special 20 The New3-Times.
GOSHEN, Ind, March 8I.-Sur-
prise and censure resulted here
Wednesday when It became known
in Goshen that an effort had been
made by the members of the 18th
district committee at their meeting
IN South Bend Tuesday afternoon
TO bring out Robert r.. Proctor OF
Elkhart as a candidate for the dem
ocratic congressional nomination.
The report reaching here of the
district committees meeting is that
PrOctOr's only stipulation in accept
Ing the wishes Of the members OF the
committee was that Ralph y. smith
OF Laporte and George y. Hepler
of South Bend. who have entered
the race for lne nomination. with
draw and leave the field free 70 the
Elkhart man.
Proctor is looked upon here as the
vet" leader in northern Indiana.
lie was the author of the Proctor
liquor law, enacted by the general
assembly ia sl911, and. which was in
force at the tIndiaRd's bone dry
prohibition law was passed
The past record OF Proctor in re-
gard TO the liquor question has
caused added interest in the report
OF the action Of the district commit
tee. which met behind closed doors
at south Bend Tuesday afternoon,
IN thatit is regarded mainly as an
attempl 10 bring Proctor out against
Ra3ph n Smith. Political leaders
here take the view that the entrance
OF the Elkhart man in the congress
sional race would not only mean the
return of a republican To congress
! in November. but would mean the
defeat of the EIkhart county ticket.
40 matter what calibre the other
] democratic candidates might be.
Kicks Over Local Bucket.
These democratic leaders not only
view the action of the district COM
mittee az South Bend Tuesday with
alarm but with anger. They say
/ thar they 30 not relish an apparent
attempt upon the part of the dis
Urict committee TO wreck democratic
| chances for success at the polls in
November
They say that up 10 the time of
/ the action Of the committee. demo
Gratis la Elkhart county had an cN-
CeIlent chance Of winning next fa3l
| They point TO thte disruption OF the
republican organization here which
has been caused by a tgnt between
old line republicans and former pro
gressiVe candidates Tor the republi-
can state convention.
Another story. current here. as in
dicative OF an effort 70 take the
fTeuoch-Hoban curse of from the
Hepler candidacy. is that the cam
paign Of the latter is being managed
| boy George W. sands. q South BEND
/ lawyer. and member Of the 1913
state assembly. which IL Is understood
Mr. Sands denies Another feature
OF the Hepler candidacy suggests
that Congressman Hickey being
! wet though having covered IL UP
bv voting for the Volstead act. as
The result OF republican caucus
Hepler really represents a Combina
rlou from that quarter against
smith; the result Of the pro-bOoze
bipartisan agreement IL is argued
now that HeDler. having failed %
arouse much interest I'm his behalf
/ led the vets as their next move
| 20 try 10 get both Hepler and smith
/ cut of tho way and substitute Proc
| tor. as undertaken IT the south Bend
meeting Tuesday.
WHY Pick ''Wct?"
Democrats here are WONDERING
why Dist Chairman Denn!son and
I his brace OF wet county Chairmen
/ IL IL was merely a question OF elimi-
mating wet hght as claimed
/ should have made So certain 90 pick
/ .-l,N-TrNTvrD oN PACE EDr~R