The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1956-06-08
Attorney General Arnold Olsen Wins Sweeping Vie
tory in State Over Former Gov. John w. Bonner
Badly Beaten in Glacier County as Result Of
Intensive Campaign by Opponent.

trrmincd effort of oil men. in.
dus,rialistS. gamblers and others
to defeat Arnold H. Olsen for the
democratic nomination for gov.
crnOr in his contest with Former
Governor John W. Bonner. Party
lines were cast aside. and repub.
Leans in large numbers crossed
over and voted in the party they
normally oppose. AS result,
local contests were affected to a
marked degree. AS a result of
the bipartisan onslaught against
Olsen. an impressive total vote
in this county of 1872 was rolled
up for Bonner. against $40 for
Olsen.
Despite the success of the
Bonner adhcrcnts in Glacier,
TOolc. and some other counties.
Olsen won the nomination in the
state by margin estimated at
5000 or more. and Bonner con.
ccdcd his defeat by mid.aftcr.
noon Wednesday. with the com.
mcnt politics is a rough game
you live by the sword and die
by the sword"
Mary Condor. who was closely
allied with Olsen in the fight for
better prices for state oil and
gas leases and royalties. was also
nominated by an even larger
vote than OlScn'S.
Following is a brief summary
Of the state. wide contests as sum.
married. in the Great Falls
Tribune Wednesday morning:
Republicans Gov. J. Hugo
Aron>on. "a. seeking 4 second
fourycar term: 1t. Gov. George
NJ. Gosman. 81. also after a sec.
ond term: Treasurer Edna J.
liinman. So. for secretary of
state: Alex Cunningham. IS Hell.
rna. for auditor. and Leonard {.
Young. trying for another term
on the Rai!ruad-Public Service
Commissions: Democrats Rep.
Lee Mctcalf. IS. seeking q third
iwO.ycar term in the LIST Congress.
Si0nal District: State Sen. Leroy
II. Anderson. so. Conrad. trying
Tor a second time to win the 2nd
Congressional District seat. and
Supreme Court Clerk Frank
Murray. ~. candidate for Sccrc.
;ary Of state. were also unop.
posed in the primary ballOting.
The 39ycar.old Olsen in his
active campaign did jus, what
he said he would do when he
filed for nomination.
lie emphasized the peoples
ncvrr.cnding fight against the
gambling rackriccrs" and his
own efforts to protect the public
asaiaS, excessive gas. electric.
freight. telephone. and other
utility rate increases.
The iwO.tcrm attorney general
continued to advocate what he
termed n program to develop
Montana school oil lands for the
benefit OF the school children
and taxpayers Of the state"
Bonner. governor from Jan. 3.
1919. to Jan. S. 1858. aimed his
campaign talks al his record Of
aiding schools. labor and indus.
trial development. lie criticized
Olsen strongly and often. claim.
ing Olsen was talking like q
dictator" and n man Of cOnfu.
sion"
The So ycar.Uld ono. time at.
tornry general said "AiOntanans
will not stand tor state officials
VINO gamble with school land
revenues" Bonner and his sup.
pDr,crs blamed Olsen for an oil,
leasing stalrmate that they said
lost the state "at least 10 million
dollars Of school money"
Helena - Republican Gov.
j. Hugo ArOnSOn and Democratic
Atty. Gen. Arnold u. Olsen Wed.
ncsday could turn their thoughts
To what promises to b. q vigOr.
Gus iivc.mOnih campaign for the
Montana gOvcrnOrship.
The 39.yssr.eld Olsen won
the governor nomination
from former Gov. John w.
Bonner In Tuesdays Demo-
cratic primary. Asonson. "a.
he'd no opposition In the
COP primary.
Nearly complete returns show.
cd that the turnout Tuesday was
far greater than most observers
predicted. In the Democratic
governor contest. with 1901 Of
l.OBl precincts unOfftcially count.
cd. q total Of i83. $50 MOntananS
had voted.
This was nearly 60 per cent
Of the registration total Of 273..
.36. In the previous presidential
election year primary In 1852 the
turnout tOtalcd iA8.2S2 or SIS
per cent Of the record 274,020
registration total.
Unlike Tuesdays l2.hour.lons