Williston graphic., 1918-09-19
] 'U||||nGERS J ! ! \ 1AE: nj !. !. J. 4
l. ?. AMENDMENTS
DncLXEs ILmlrEIifss DEsr - PiRlSo. ~
VISION lI'|M| ckAri,ID 81 !, !, FOR q !. Y scous.
TIES, CITIES, TOWNS


four years ago as the Democrats can
didate for governor, gave L. B. Han
M . close shave; who formerly was
warden Of the state penitentiary and
. member Of the legislature; who
served for year % secretary Of the
North Dakota Council Of Defense,
which was very active in patriotic
work under his direction, and who
now 81 Democratic candidate for the
legislature from Burleigh county, has
addressed to the voters Of his dis
trict letter in which he analyses
the ten constitutional amendments to
be submitted by the league 1T the
general election in November.
Mr.. Hellstrom's letter follows:
"Mr. Voter: Have you made up
your mind how you will vote on the
proposed amendments to the consti-
tuition?
First: Do you know that as our
constitution now stands we are linn
tied to bonded debt Of $500, 900. and
if you vote in favor Of the amend
ments proposed you will vote to in
crease the debt limit to $4,000, 900,
an increase at the ratio of $50 for
81? Question What is this for !!
Who will it benefit?
"Second: Do you know that .
state bond is q first mortgage lien
on every farm home? All property,
all earnings, be it days labor or
other SOURCE of income, everything
and everybody in the state will stand
pledged to pay the bonds.
"Would you give any political boss
who may control the press and other
machinery for molding public opin-
ion a power of attorney to put a
first mortgage lien on you and all
that you possess? If you vote to
amend the state constitution you are
doing this very thing and more. You
will extend the mortgage to enslave
your children, and their children for
generations to come. The debt limit
in our constitution is the most scored
guarantee of liberty; it stands as a
barrier against folly and greed and
corruption; it pays to the charlatan
or the fool: Thus far shalt thou 60,
but no further
Remove all Local Limits
s'Third: Do you know that if you
vote for this amendment you will
absolutely remove all the debt limi-
tation against counties, cities and all
subdivisions less than the state itself?
Fourth: Do you know that this
will DESTROY all private credit? Be.
cause If there is no restriction, no
limit to public bonds, then your prop
erty stands subject to sale and seiz-
ure to pay public debts unlimited,
which leaves you no equity; even
your earnings become subject to seiz-
ure 50 long as you remain within
the borders of the state? This is the
most far-reaching question that can
possibly come before any people. Stop
your work and read, think and un-
derstand. The question is: Do you
want to continue to do business in
your own name or let someone else
control you? --,.
Foreign Chains Of Bondage
"What will it profit you to destroy
autocracy and free the world if you
forge chains of bondage unlimited
with which to shackle. yourselves and
your posterity? Shall we give to
professional political bosses the power
to despoil our state and the thousands
of happy homes? This state is
great corporation, and you ere
stockholder. You and your family
are the corporate property. The con-
stitution is your guaranty of liberty.
Without its protecting restrictions,
anarchy will overtage and destroy
YOU. The restriction against incur
ring public debt is the most essential
safeguard in the constitution. With
out it, the protection to liberty. life
and property becomes hollow mock
ery. The experience that older states
have had was the guiding influence
that caused the makers of our con-
stitution to fix the debt limit just
high enough to allow public improve
ments to be undertaken on reason
able basis. 1t has stood the test so
far. Beware of any policy that opens
the door to folly and fraud; let we'll
enough alone. To remove the debt
limit means confscation of all prop
erty by the tax route. Do you know
that if you vote for these amend
ments it will be possible to tax one
class and exempt another? Do you
know anyone big enough to be trust
ed with such power?
"Our bonding limit is high enough
to permit needed public improve
ments, but not high enough to open
the doors to the looter and explciter,
as was the misfortune of the older
states, who paid the price in fraudu-
lent bond issues voted on the people
by hired thugs and bond election
manipulators."
Bonds Issued Fraudulently
Mr.. Hellstrom then cite; a number
of instances in which bonds have been
fraudulently issued. "Away back in
the early seventies, one county in
Kansas voted 1886, 1000 in aid of rail-