The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-10-17
THE REPUBLICAN, STATE TICKET.

one OF exceptional merit. The nomi
nees are Montana citizens of goot
repute, Of a high order Of ability
their record as public officials canno'
be successfully lass allied by parts at
critics: they are acknowledged, even
by the opposition press, to be worthy
OF honor at the hands of their party
an admission which implies that they
are all right from every point Of view
except that of partisan politics.
1t Is entirely unnecessary to com.
mend Hon. Charles n. Pray to the
voters Of northern Montana as the
republican candidate for representa-.
tive in congress. They all know him
and are familiar with his excellent
record as a public official of Chouteau
county. Mr.. Pray was the subject of
this expression of good will and es.
TEEN in the platform adopted by the
Chouteau county republican conven.
ton a few weeks ago:
Resolved, That in the person of
Hon. Charles N. Pray, we have an
able exponent of Roosevelt republi.
canism whose record as a Chouteau
county official and many admirable
attributes as an American citizen
make him worthy of any honor within
the gift of Montana republicans.
1t appears that the merits of Mr..
Pray wereI also recognized in other
parts of Montana, for he was uomin.
ated by reclamation at the republican
state convention.
AS the firstlcongressional candidate
ever nominated from the northern part
Of the state, Mr.. Pray will poll a rec
ord vote in this section of Montana.
Two years ago, the republican candi-
date for representative in congress
received a plurality OF 1905 in Chou
teau county. in a total vote of 2,246.
Mr.. Praytwill receive a vote in Chou
teau county that will be more nearly
unanimous than that cast at any for.
mer election, with n exception. That
exception relates to the first general
election held in Montana in 1864, when
Col. w. F. Sanders was the republi.
can candidate for delegate in con.
gress, andewho, according to the off,
cial returns, received every vote cast
in Chouteau county at that time. We
are not prepared to vouch for the
fairness OF that election or the cor.
rectness Of the returns-there were
some peculiar election methods In
those days-but it was an incident in
Montana political history that may
never be duplicated. Mr.. Pray's vote
at the coming election will approx.
mate it more nearly than any other.
Judge:Henry c. Smith, the republi.
can nominee for associate justice OF
the supreme court, also deserves the
support of every fair.minded citizen
who places merit above partisan poll.
tics. He is we'll and favorably known
to a great many residents of northern
Montana, and his reputation in his
home county is established by the fact
that he has been honored on three
successive occasions by election as
Judge of the district court. A brief
biographical sketch Of the nominee
says:
Judge.Henry c. Smith, OF Helena,
candidate for associate
justice OF the supreme court, vas born
August 3, 1861, It Fond du Lac, Wis.
His father was a locomotive engineer
in the employ OF the Chicago Il North.
railroad for nearly 10 years.
Henry Smith received his first educa.
ton in the public schools of Oshkosh,
and was graduated from the high
school OF that city in 1879. After
leaving school he was employed as a
messenger boy, shop clerk and tele.
graph operator for three years, when
he entered the law firm of Sale X
OF Janesville, Wis, as a
and was admitted to the bar
in 1883. From 1855 until lSSs Mr..
was IL member of the law firm
Fethers, Jetferies n Smith, of
a%nesville.
Judge Smith came to Montana Is
years ago, and practiced law at Helena
until 1896, when he was elected dis
trict Judge OF the First judicial dis.
trict. He was reelected in 1900 and
again in 1904, each time by an in.
asp1 majority nnripv tina ~
years that Judge Smith has occupied
the position OF district Judge he has
made an enviable record. He is a
profound student of law, and his we'll
known honesty and integrity have
made him respected and honorcd by
the people Of Lewis and Clark county
as we'll as elsewhere.
Pointed 0raprnch