Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-11-02
HElLS1R0M
Wants DEBATE
Political Advertisinq.)

wa "N.hSo w. rOley, dcllnS CnalT-
man, republican state central com.
mittee, Fargo, n. d. My dear Mr.. Fo.
ley: Your open letter in tonlght's
Forum declining, in behalf of Mr.. Han
ma, my challenge in behalf Of Mr..
Hellstrom, TO joint debate on the po-
litical issues and the records OF the
democratic and republican candidates
FOR governor, seems to evade the is.
sues raised in my letter.
A malicious attack was made on
Mr.. Hellstrom and his record. Mr..
Hellstrom merely desires to face his
opponent before the public for the
purpose of being there convicted or
v~indicated. You complain that UNI
just charges have been made against
MI. Hanna and it occurred to me that
Mr.. Hanna should be delighted at an
opportunity to appear on the same
platform with Mr.. Hellstrom. there to
be convicted or indicated of the
charges made against him. Such a
debate would be justice to both Mr..
Hellstrom and Mr.. Hanna.
! note that you say Mr.. Hanna can
not cancel his engagements. | regret
that Mr.. Hanna's engagements are so
pressing that he cannot spare the
time to allow his official record dis.
cnssed on the same platform with Mr..
Hellstrom and in view of this unfor.
tunate circumstance Mr.. Hellstrom
will be willing to meet any regular
accredited representative OF Mr.. Han
ma, carrying personal credentials and
delegated authority from your candi-
date for governor.
You are in error in thinking the
democratic state committee made
false charges against Mr.. Hanna.
The charges against Mr.. Hanna were
merely repetitions Of charges made
against that gentleman by such hon.
orable men az Postmaster General
Hitchcock, Sen. Robert NJ. La Toilette,
Senator Borah If Idaho and the pro.
gressive republican press OF North Da.
kOta. These are charges made by
honorable gentleman in the party to
which Mr.. Hanna belongs, and not al
legations of irresponsible convicts. In
this connection beg to say that |, as
chairman of the democratic state com.
mittee, would not entertain the
charges Of a corvict as political CAPT.
tai against such a man as Mr.. Hanna,
The reason is obvious. But, when
the charges against Mr.. Hanna ema'
nate from the progressive press of his
own party and such honorable men as
the postmaster general and the dis.
tinguished senators from Wisconsin
and Idaho, l consider them entirely
proper for repetition and subject mat.
ter for joint debate.
Postmaster General Hitchcock as
serts that Mr.. Hanna violated the
ranking privilege lay. Senator La
Toilette declares that Mr.. Hanna be
Gtrayed the people of North Dakota
whom he was sent to represent in
congress. Senator Borah, owe his
signature says Mr.. Hanna had moth
ing to do with the Introduction and
passage of the new ~three-year home
stead law, The progressive republi
a press Of the state, during the pr.
maries, charged that Mr.. Hanna mis-
represented the people in the state
senate and house OF representatives,
My only desire was to give Nh. Han
ma an opportunity to face the public
with Mr.. Hellstrom, and say whether
or not these charges are true. So lone
as Mr.. Hellstrom is willing to go be-
fore the public on the same platform
with Mr.. Hanna, l can not understand
in what way | was not within the
bounds Of courtesy to extend an invi
tation to Mr.. Hanna to join III debate
with Mr.. Mr.. Hellstrom to enlighter
the public as to the correctness o.
charges made against him.
l made it clear in my letter thai
Mr.. Hanna would not be called upon
to explain the things he didn't do, but
the things he did do. Is this now
clear? We merely asked Mr.. Hanna
to explain what he did as a repre-
sentative of the people in the legisla
ture Of North Dakota and in congress
| think there is no denying the right
of the people to call upon their rep
resentative in government to explain
his official conduct, for, when that
right is denied, We will no longer have
a representative government. | fee
that you must agree with me on this
point, and that it is proper to cal
up n Mr.. Hanna or any other repre-
sentative of the people, at any time
for explanation of the charges made
against his official conduct.
1t is with regret that ! read your
letter declining for Mr.. Hanna a de
bate with Mr.. Hellstrom, for | Was
sincere in suggesting an opportunity
for these two gentlemen to get to
gether before the public in order ina
iustic may be done beth. As Mr.
Hanna will not have time to explain
his official conduct and the chargs
made by responsible men against him
l do not wish to place him in the at
titude of being convicted CT tnese
charges without a fair, public hearing
and therefore suggest that Mr.. Hanna
select some representative man II
North Dakota to. meet Mr.. Hellstron
and debate the questions raised II
nv original challenge, and which yol
appear to have overlooked in replying
to my letter.
Thanking you for the courtesy o
your reply and trusting that, in view
of the fact that Mr.. Hanna has sucl
pressing engagements that he a NJ
time to personally explain, that II
will find a substitute, | beg to email
Sincerely yours,
(Signed)-D. H. MARTHUR:
P. s. Mr.. Hanna is a candidate 10
uoyorror ond tho. npon1a'