The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1914-09-24
Man
Of THE PEOPLE
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR Gov.
ERhoR OF NORTH DAKOTA HAS
RECORD WHICH PROVES HIM TO
De FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE At
ALL TIMES.
Was Farmers Friend
When He Was Warden

was E01l11S1S Hl1CllO
When He Was Warden
III the people Of North Dakota are
looking for governor with the back.
bone Of jellyfish, then don't vote for
me-" is warning made By Frank o,
Hellstrom, democratic nominee fol
campaign this fall.
This statement is characteristic Of
the man. AS he says. he never was
when he was warden, and he never
will be as governor, merely rubber
stamp for the political BOSSES"
Frank o. Hellstrom IL self-made
man. He has gained his large per
sonal following In North Dakota be.
cause he never made promise but
what he fulfilled 1t, because he never
turned deaf ear to his friends when
they were in need Of his services, and
because he hasn't simply used his
friends to further his own interests
and then dropped them when they
were no longer necessary for his ad.
vancement.
Born on a farm, he spent most Of
his life on farm. Educated for the
legal profession, he graduated from
the Kansas law school in 1892. And
then he devoted much of his time ia
the cultivation Of the soil in his old
home in Douglas county, Kansas.
Schooled in the principles of demo
cracy, Mr.. Hellstrom early was recog'
nized as leader, and in 1896 he
stumped the state of Kansas for viii.
liam Jennings Bryan.
When he came to North Dakota II
was in connection with the farm ma
chinery business and for several years
was manager Of the Fargo branch Of
the Northwest Thresher company. 1t
will be said of him by that firm that
during his incumbency as manager the
company saw it's largest years of bust
ness in this state, which proves Mr..
Hellstrom's ability as business man,
as also does his record as warden OF
the penitentiary.
When John Burke was elected gov.
ernor of North Dakota in 1906, with
the members OF the board of control
he began looking around for a man
who would be suitable for warden OF
the penitentiary.
The wardenship is perhaps the most
important office in the state, outside
Of the chief executive, and this Gov
ernor Burke realized. He well knew
that it was not simply a plum to give
to the man who needed to be taken
care of by his friends because he had
spent all his money on the party or
to any men as reward for any special
favor which may have advanced the
governors own interests.
Governor Burke realized that under
the Sarles business administration, the
penitentiary had fallen into a deplor,
able condition. Instead of being self.
supporting, as they can be made ia
be. the institution was great flnan.
cial burden on the state. Burke want.
ed to find some man of sound business
ideas who would make an honest effort
to decrease this debt in two years
time, for 1t was then uncertain wheth-
er the Burke administration would be
sustained at the close Of its first term.
With this idea in view, he asked
Frank o. Hellstrom to help him show
the people of North Dakota the value
Of an economic administration, one
which was really laboring for the in.
terests OF the people. He asked Mr..
Hellstrom to take charge of the peni.
Tertiary and try to lift the great bur-
den of that institution. At first Mr..
Hellstrom was loath to accept. He
realized what it meant. But finally
persuaded, he went at it in a manner
that has reflected everlasting credit
on the state and the Burke admins
tration.
What was Mr.. Hellstrom'a record as
warden? Even the most strongly par.
ttsan republicans admit it was the
best in the history Of the institution.
The first thing he did was to abolish
the whipping post, the form Of capital
punishment that prevailed in every in.
stitution Of the kind in the land. In
that reform Mr.. Hellstrom was the .pio-
neer. Since then how many states
have followed his example and done
away with whipping posts and all
forms Of capital punishment in one
way or another, either by legislative
enactment or otherwise? Mr.. He'll.
strom set the pace that has grown in.
to q widespread movement.
His next act az warden was to es.
tablish the honor system, something
that brought him q national reputation
and gave the state Of North Dakota
much prominence. The Burke admin
istrations opponents at once predicted
that Mr.. Hellstrom's policy would be
disastrous, that the country would be
OYefrun with ARcanaA crimniala that