Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 27, DeMotte, Jasper County, 3 June 1949 — Democrats Join In Outcry Over Beer Plums [ARTICLE]

Democrats Join In Outcry Over Beer Plums

Charge Favored Few Given Licenses; GOP Distributors Must Let “Right Men" Muscle In Disgruntled Democrats joined Republicans yesterday in blasts of condemnation against efforts of the Democratic party to take over the wholesale beer business in Indiana. While a few favored Democrats were permitted to muscle into the beer business, others were unable to get the approval of Democratic State Chairman Ira Haymaker, named as the “czar” of the industry by irate distributors. Haymaker, in applying Governor IJenry F. Schricker’s policy of taking the beer business out [ of politics, was putting pressure I on Republican distributors to sell 1 an interest in their business to Democrats. Some who refused found themselves denied licenses by the | State Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Charles G. Norris, former Elwood distributor, said Haymaker told him on May 2 that his license would not be renewed. This was a week after he had refused to let the Democrats buy half his business, he charged. “They told me I would have to ‘marry’ a Democrat,” he said. “I told them I would not commit bigamy, especially with a Democrat.” Meanwhile the state rocked with charges by ousted distributors and by Democrats who I had been unable to tap the kegs. J “Some of the Democrats are 1 madder than the' Republicans,” , declared Ed Lenkensdofer, Winchester. ‘I sent my SI,OOO check to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission on April 1 and two weeks later it was cashed,” Lenkensdofer related. “I thought that meant' my license would be renewed. “But on April 29, Russell Wise, Democratic lawyer, said he was taking over, and offered me aj half interest in my own business. | When it was apparent I was not’ going •to get my license I sold I out to Wise for the Invoice' value.” J. Clayton Hughes, executive secretary of Indianapolis Federation of Public School Teachers, is one of the new Democratic beer dealers, it was disclosed yesterday. Hughes bought half the business of Frank Rhoades, Republican farmer of Plainfield. Hughes resigned May 9 from the board of trustees of the State Penal Farm. Two days later he and Rhoades applied for a license. They received it May 16. Hughes is a former state representative from Elkhart County and is widely known as a former high school basketball offi“lt was purely a business deal for me,” Hughes commented. How distributors who refused to sell were forced out of business ' was recounted by Mrs. Frank I Hargis of Rockport, wife of the former distributor there.

She said her husband’s license was not jeriwed May 1 while a ne\yz license was issued to~’a Democratic politician. “The ABC said they were investigating my husband’s application but he was practically told he would not get it. He finally withdrew it on May 15 and lost most of his investment.’’