The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1921-12-02

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THE RISE AND FALL OF Elk.
GOVERNOR FRAZIER.
Last week Governor Frazier turn.
ed over the administration of the
state Of North Dakota to the newly
elected governor, R. A. Nestos. Five
years ago Lynn J. Frazier was cleo
ted governor of this state by ma
jority of nearly $4,000. The people
Of the state had confidence in him as
a fit leader, one who had ability to
govern right and who would do all in
{ his power for the good of the COM
monwealth. The people who placed
him in the highest Office which was
within their power to bestow upon a
citizen, expected an efficient admins
tration of the affairs of the state.
Mr. Frazier being a son of the
soil, the people generally conceded
his election to be move in the right
direction, as he would have the in
terest of the farmers at heart, and
in this vast agricultural state, the
problems of the farmer are many
and difficult of solution. There is
little doubt but that Mr.. Frazier took
his oath of office with the best of in
tentions but his plastic character
was soon contaminated by the Turing
inducements Of the Townley socialis-
tic crowd, and the good in the man
Frazier was lost in the perfdy of the
Townley machine, of which he prov
ed to be but tool.
In the first speech he made in
Pembina Mr.. Frazier had already
been instructed in the Townley pro-
paganda and all the evils in the
state, them as now, were laid to the
door of "Big Biz" an expression he
used repeatedly in his talk and which
We had never heard uttered before
but by some slum politician, out to
create agitation among the people.
Mr.. Frazier while governor of the
state, lent himself so completely to
the Vaccinations of the socialists in
power that the same people who
honored him with the governorship
five years before, recalled him from
office and the verdict that he was un-
fit to govern our state was rendered
at the election on October 28th.
Certainly an uneviable position for
one who had occupied the guberna-
torial chair. To be pronounced
total failure in public life by the
CONSTITUENCIES who, five years before
had faith in his integrity as a man
and an official, can mean only this,
that Mr.. Frazier lacked every essen
tial characteristic in the making of
the statesman which is necessary to
the right government of common
wealth or nation. Statesmen who
govern firmly, intelligently, unsel-
fishly and with their heart filled with
charity for their fellow citizens, such
are the statesmen of which American
history is made. Mr.. Frazier has
been tried and found wanting.
Would that we could blot from the
pages of North Dakota history the
five years of his regime as governor.
Let us hope that our beloved state
will come out from under the cloud
of socialism little stronger and bet
ter, with the eyes of her citizens
open to the dangers lurking in the
acceptance of any program of agita-
tors in whatever guise it may be
presented.
Mr.. Frazier was raised on a farm
near Hoople in Pembina county. He
attended the public schools and grad
uated from the state University. His
future was brighter than many boys
from the farm, but what home
coming! He can offer no apology
that will clear him to his former
friends and neighbors. He will have
lost much of his ability as a farmer
since he left Flora township five
years ago. The class hatred that he
has taught during his term of office
has descended upon Ms head a hun
dred fold. He is an outcast.
Ex-Governor Frazier may be heard
of in the future as a fanatic, follow
ing political agitators about the
country, giving testimonials from
the stump as to how "Big Biz" was
b blame for his undoing.
The Cavalier Chronicle, about the