Hungry Horse news., 1954-10-29
FIutheud TO Have
Close Races in
tuesday Election
by Mel Ruder

Close races are indicated in a
number of contests as che Flatheao
goes to the polls Tuesday.
Reports from over the nation
tell of definite swing to the party
out of power. In this case, it is the
Democrats.
This swing is evident in the
Flathead in the support given Sen
ator James E. Murray, who APP
parently has the edge over Wesley
D'Ewart, eastern Montana Repub-
lican congressman in the bid for
the U. S. senate.
We also believe Lee Metcalf,
Democrat and incumbent congress-
man from this district, will carry
the Flathead and return to Wash
ington for a second term. He OPP
poses Winfield Page, Missoula,
Republican nominee.
There is less interest in the
state races.
ENERGETIC CAMPAIGNS
There has been energetic cam
paigning on the part of county
candidates. They haven't missed a
Ladies Aid dinner. The edge that
Republican candidates ordinarily
have will be trimmed. Both parties
will have candidates elected, and
there will be close races. The
Flathead is fortunate in the gen.
eral calibre of the men and Wom-
en- who are seeking county offices,
and residents of the county for the
most part are acquainted with the
candidates.
Vote turnout will be consider
ably less than two years ago. How
ever Mrs. Mona Sorensen, deputy
county clerk, commented that the
$50 absentee ballots in by We'd
nesday afternoon was good show
ing for a non-presidential election
year.
In November, 1852 there were
1929 voters eligible with 1880
votes cast. The turnout was SO per
cent of all voters in Fairview; 90
per cent in Bad Rock, and 81 per
cent in LaSalle.
REPUBLICAN IN 1852
Unofficial total in Nov 1852
gave Eisenhower 1872 and Stew
enson 5,085. On the other hand
Mansfield, always favored in the
Flathead, received 7,267 and Ec-
ton 5,119 in the bid for U. S. sem
ate.
While the county voted for Els
enhower, Columbia Fails bafl8ted
248 for Stevenson and 206 for Els
enhower, and nearby Columbia
precinct, 179 for Stevenson and
127 for Eisenhower. Martin City,
Coram and Essex gave the Dem
ocratic presidential nominee slight
majorities. Mansfield had 355
votes to Ecton's 100 in Columbia
Falls.
DEMOCRATIC IN 1948
In 1948 the Flathead gave Tru-
man 4,546 votes to Dewey's 4,240
and Wallace's 326. In 1914 it was
Dewey 4,066 to FDRs 1908, and
in 1910, FDR, 5,217 to Wilkes
4, 4,404. The Flathead supports
Democratic national candidates,
but tends to favor Republican To-
cal candidates.
The last off-year election in
1850 saw only two Democratic
candidates chosen. They were Dick
Walsh for sheriff 5,305 to DON
egan's 1898 and Carl Lad edging
in as surveyor 4,517 to 4,305 in
tabulations. This was an
off-year election with the Demo-
Gratis in power.
County race at this time
the most attention is
Walsh and Morris Blake seeking
the position of sheriff. We believe
Walsh will be chosen.
The July primary gave some in
dication of the popularity of can
didates for the U. S. senate in the
Flathead.
MURRAY OVER D'EWART
James E. Murray led the Demo-
Gratis with 2,702 votes to Ray Gu
lick and Sam Feezell, both un-
known here, picking up the other
238. For the Republicans, Wesley
D'Ewart polled 2,094 with Robert
Yellowtail, Crow Indian leader but
a stranger here, getting 834. yell
.owtail actually polled 19 votes
to D'Ewart's 16 in small Sedan
precinct of the Flathead, and in
LaSalle the vote was D'Ewart 20
and Yellowtan 18. D'Ewart will do
fair at best in Flathead farm pre-
cincts Tuesday.
kALlSPELL VOTE
Decisive factor in Tuesdays ell
ection are the 4,934 registered vot-
ers in the eight Kalispen precincts
With an additional $50 in Ever
green.
The three Whitefish precincts
nave an even 1900 with an addi-
ional 703 in Whitefish lake pre-
,inct.
Columbia Falls has 624 register
I'd voters with nearby Columbia
precinct having 1892.
Columbia Falls and Whitefish
With few exceptions favor Demo-
ratio candidates. Kalispell with
ew exceptions pick Republicans.
This count of eligible votes in
md near Kalispell, Whitefish and
Columbia Falls accounts for 8,701 I
# the 1898 registered voters.
SPECIAL MEASURES
The ballots Tuesday will contain
our special issues. Warranting
upport are the referendums 81
md SO which would permit bond
ng of S2,00O,0O0 for improve
nents at the state hospital at
Warm Springs and $1,500,000 for
at the state train
ng school at Boulder.
There is also a referendum to |
10 with the people at an election
their preference as to
he party nominees for president
f United States. There has been
;t+la irteroc+ in fhic rnaa SIRE OF.