Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-10-15
HELLSTR0M SENDS
HANNA A LETTER
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE INVITES
GOVERNOR HANNA TO SERIES
OF DEBATES.
Will the Governor Reply?

Frank O.. Hellstrom, Democratic
nominee for governor of North Dako
ia, has this week issued the following
open letter to Governor Hanna, invit-
ing the executive to meet him in a ser
les Of debates and discuss the issues OF
the state campaign and the governors
claims to having run a business ad,
reply? Following is Mr.. Hellstrom's
letter:
Hon. Louis B. Hanna, Bismarck, N.
D.-Dear Sir: Charges have been
made in certain columns of the North
Dakota press contradicting your claims
and the claims Of your friends to hav.
ing conducted a business administra-
ton since your Inauguration on Janu.
airy 8, 1913.
"In order that you may correct any
misrepresentation and accusations
that have been uttered against you
which nay have appeared in the press
or otherwise, l invite you to join me
in a discussion of the facts and issues
on the same platform at the same time
as was done by the Hon. Woodrow Viii.
son, the highly esteemed president OF
the United States, and the Hon. Vivian
Lewis in the campaign of 1910, when
they were the Democratic and Repub
lican nominees respectively for cover.
nor of New Jersey.
Il suggest that Il meeting be held
before November 2, 1914, at each Of
the following places: Fargo, Crane
Forks, Devils Lake, Minot, Harvey
jamestown and Bismarck. If you de
eide to join me, the expense of holding
these meetings will be betrayed so tina,
you will not be called upon to pay an
part Of these discussions, as the Demo
cratic party will agree to Day all your
travelling expenses on this trip.
Perhaps it has come to your notice
that you have been charged with con-
Quoting your administration in the in
terests of the corporations and Big
Business instead of the people.
Evidence of this has been pointed
to in your veto of the tax commission
appropriation bill; your veto of the
banks; your veto of senate bill $50 to
protect injured persons from hasty set
Elements with railroad attorneys; you!
veto of the appropriation to reimburse
Prof. e. F.. Laid, pure food commits.
sioner, for money advanced by him tc
enforce the pure food laws of this
state; your call of an emergency ses.
sion of the pardon board to pardon
John Young, a train rObber. at the soil
citation of the Northern Pacific rail.
road in order to defeat a suit filed
against that corporation by the chief
OF police Of Menominee, Wis, to col
lect a $1,000 reward for this train rob,
ber's arrest and conviction.
by ali these vetos and acts it is
charged that The peoples interests
have greatly suffered.
Further, it is charged that the mer-
ger of the Agricultural college board
with the board Of directors of the Bet.
ter Tanning association is a disgrace.
full surrender of the experiment and re-
search work of the Agricultural college
to a private corporation, representative
of the monied powers of Minneapolis.
and the shouldering OF the debts and
liabilities of the Better Farming asso-
citation by the Agricultural college
board is a fragrant violation of the laws
of North Dakota and a misappropria-
ton q the public funds. 1t is charged
the h~igh-handed action OF the Agricul.
tural college board is in line with your
recommendation expressed in your
message to the legislature of January
8, 1913.
ut IS possible you know that through
your action as a member of the state
board of equalization, your failure to
raiSetne railroads. assessment and fol-
low tie advice of the tax commission
has leen called a slap at the people
and 9 reward to the corporations. You
are darged with being unfair and I'M
just to the people in your action in
raising the assessed value of the real
estae and personal property Of the
peolle $7,675,O
"Tnder your administration the
farmers have been ~overcharged from
thre-fourths of a cen to one and
~thrte-fourths cents per pound for bind
ingtwine, which has resulted in a net
loss to the people of more than $780,
000for the year of 1914. This is charg-
edto have been in the interest of the
twne trust.
Notwithstanding hat the average
POPULATION at the state penitentiary has
ben much above the average for the
lat six years, the present prison a
aiement has hired a larger number of
nen to do the work than formerly was
dine by prison labor. The monthly
ny roll for June, 1914, was more han
1900 in excess Of the pay roll for the
corresponding month in the history Of
he institution. The average net daily
lost of running the state prison since
April, 1913, has been more than 60 per
gent greater than for the six years i'm.
mediately preceding.
at has been further charged that
lunde- our administration the state
board of control has entered into a
contract with an alleged architect in
violation of chapter So, article %, of
the 1911 session laws. Under this ON
tract it is charged that many thousands
of dollars have been unlawfully paid
to this said alleged architect.
Furthermore, you have been charg-
ed with s%uppressing the quarterly re-
ports OF the state treasurer for the
quarters ending in March and June,
1914. 1t is said there is a deficiency in