9/19/2008:
Ole H. Olson, North Dakota’s eighteenth governor, was born in Wisconsin on this date, September 19, 1872. Following graduation from Concordia College, Olson moved to North Dakota where he established a homestead in Eddy County. He began his political career in the North Dakota State House of Representatives in 1916, moving to the North Dakota State Senate two years later.
In 1932, Senator Olson threw his hat into the gubernatorial race, seeking the Republican nomination for governor. He lost his bid to William Langer in an especially rancorous Republican nominating process: the result of a deep split between two main party factions; the more conservative, business-friendly Independent Voters Association, and the much more liberal-leaning Nonpartisan League. Despite the deep divisions within the party, the Republicans did well in the 1932 general elections. William Langer was elected Governor and Ole Olson elected Lieutenant Governor.
Despite winning the governorship, William Langer remembered well the powerful opposition to his authority from among his own ranks. To solidify his power within both the divided Republican Party and the state government, Langer dismissed a great number of executive employees and replaced them with appointments loyal to his leadership. To gain better command of the outflow of information concerning his administration, Langer and his supporters purchased a newspaper, The Leader, which actively promoted government policies.
This scale of political strong-arming required funding beyond the donations to the Republican Party, prompting Langer to require all executive employees to subscribe to the party newspaper. Unfortunately for Langer, many of the executive employees he forced to fund his political machine through newspaper subscriptions were supplementing their incomes with federal relief funds. Since solicitation and collection of federal money for political purposes was illegal, Langer was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States of $179.95.
According to North Dakota state law, this felony conviction disqualified Langer from holding political office. As a result Ole H. Olson, Langer’s Lieutenant Governor was sworn in as North Dakota’s new governor on June 21, 1934. But before Langer had been completely cast from power, he countered his political opponents. While using the National Guard to secure his position at the capital, by force if necessary, Langer called an emergency Legislative session; crying before the House of Representatives, “I am still your Governor!” The legislators rallied to Langer’s support.
Olson, in the meantime quietly gained judicial support for his administration, and successfully blocked legislative attempts to counter his gubernatorial power. However, Olson’s victory was short-lived. Nineteen Thirty-four was an election year, and Governor Olson was not nominated by either party to continue in his current post. As a result, Olson threw his support behind Thomas Moodie, a Williston newspaperman who was running on the Democratic ticket. Not to be outdone, Langer’s supporters attempted another Langer political comeback and nominated Lydia Langer, William Langer’s wife, for governor. Moodie easily defeated Mrs. Langer in the general election, and Olson handed the reigns of government to his chosen successor on January 7, 1935.
Sources
"Better Half." Time August 13, 1934.
Miller, Roy L. "The Gubernatorial Controversy in North Dakota." The American Political Science Review 29, no. 3 (1935): 418-432.
"North Dakota Fun." Time July 30, 1934.