The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-08-07
NOMINATION OF
0'C0NN0R WILL
BE CONTESTED
F. o. HellstrOm of Bismarck
Announces He Has Start
ed Proceedings in Court
RECEIVE PAPERS

Grand Forks, Aug. The sheriff
here today received papers for serv-
ice on O'Connor in the Hellstrom &C.
ton in attempt to nullify O'Connor's
nomination for the senate. Papers
are affidavit Of complaint and sum
mons.
Commencement of action to con-
test the nomination Of J. F. 7. O'Con-
nor Of Grand Forks, for United
States Senator. in the recent Demo-
cratic primary was, dispatched today
by Frank O. iHellstrom Of Bismarck,
O'Connor's unsuccessful opponent in
the primary, according to state
ment by Mr.. Hellstrom. The contest
is to be made, Mr.. Hellstrom said,
in the district court in Ward county.
The basis Of the contest is the al
legation that "the said J. 7. O'Con-
nor is unqualified to have and re-
ceive said nomination for the reason.
that he has been guilty of corrupt
practice as that is defined by section
941, section 942 and 942 Of the Com
piled Laws Of the State Of North
Dakota for 1913"
Charges Law Violation
Mr.. Hellstrom alleges that the
Democratic convention at which
O'Connor was endorsed for United
States Senator was in violation OF
the corrupt practice act, in that prior
to the call for the convention by At
torney- General Johnson as Demo-
cratic state chairman "the said de-
fendant-contestee was member OF
an organization known as the 1nde-
pendent Voters Association, and a
Committee representing said or
ganization known as the Committee
of Forty-Five, which said organiza-
tion consisted of members of the Re-
publican and Democratic parties, and
of others designating themselves as
the members Of the Independent Vot-
ers Association of the State Of North
Dakota, and of which the chairman
OF the Democratic State Central
Committee was a, member, and the
chairman Of the real Republican
State Central Committee was also
member, and participated in the
counsels of said committee; that as
result of said consultation, it was
decided and agreed that the said
Democratic and Republican chairmen
be requested to call together what
purported to be convention Of each
Of said parties, and that said con-
ventions be held on the same day in
the same city in the State Of North
of North Dakota; that the aforesaid
call for the convention Of the Demo-
cratic party was made in pursuance
of said conspiracy; and in further
ance thereof; and for the purpose of
exchanging and trading. Offices and
candidates for nomination"
Hellstrom shortly before the pri-
mary sought and received restrain
ing order fom Judge Lowe of the
Ward county district court in which
joint expenditure of funds by the
Democratic, Republican and lnde-
pendent Voters Association campaign
committees was prohibited. The case
was dismissed by Judge Lowe last
week on the ground that notices is
sued had been defective.
What 1t Is Based On
The Hellstrom contest is based on
substantially the same grounds, he
alleging that the agreement of the
Democratic and Repub-
lican conventions to exchange sup
port on certain candidates for state
Offices was violation Of law. He
alleges that O'Connor was disquali-
fed as candidate, "by reason Of his
in the conspiracy here
inbefore referred to, and which, was
a violation Of the Corrupt Prastice
Act of this state"
The complaint served includes an
affidavit by Hellstrom and campaign
statements of the organizations ac-
cused of entering conspiracy.