The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-06-30
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 80, 1909.
MONTANA IN CONGRESS-.

The Montana citizen who has fol
lowed the tariff debate in congress
cannot have failed to observe thai
tariff rates affecting products of any
industry in this state are receiving
careful attention and loyal support
from each member Of the Montana del
egstion. In thelhouse Of representa-
tives, excellentswork in this connec'
ton was performedlby Hon. Charles
N. Pray, and;.during the prolonged
discussion of tariff matters in the
senate the interestslof their constitu.
ents have beenL vigorously and cue.
cessfully defendediby:Senators Carter
and Dixon.
The g%oodlwork done by the Mon.
tsns delegation, on behalf of their
home industries, eis evidently appreci.
ated by most LOT theirl constituency,
regardless OF political considerations.
In only one0instance, so liar as this
newspaper has observed, )has there
been partisa nIandIunreasonable criti.
cism Of theirturecord, thisNcriticism
coming from the IButte Miner, whose
mission appears to be an attempt to
boost its owner, Mr.!W. A. Clark, for
another term in the senate by assail.
ing and misrepresenting the record Of
every otherland.more worthylsspiraut
80 the honor. Listen to this from the
Miner editorial page:
"Of course no one:would expect the
two republicanssenstors of this state
to support the democratic position on
the tariff, but it was expected that
they wouldlsupport the position taken
By such progressive republicans as
Senators Dolliver. Cummins, Bever.
idge, LaFollette and other western
representatives.
"Instead Of this: Messrs. Carter and
Dixon are foundI6ghting under the
Tag of the reactionary element in their
party, and joining Uhands with the
New England senators. 1t is quite ev-
ident that the twolMontana gentlemen
will have ito lido a.tgreat deal of ex-
planning in thelnear:future."
The Montana senator's have nothing
to explain. They are keeping in the
middle of the road, following the
route defined in their party platforms.
Commissioned andlinstructed by their
constituencySto give:,fair treatment to
all American industries, the Montana
senators would extend to the products
of New England the same tariff en-.
cour agement th~eyidesire for the prod.
ucts of their own state. The sectional
discriminationlth at. c b ar acterized the
WilsOn-Gorman enactment, which the
Butte Miner appears to regard as the
msster.piecelof tariff Legislation, will
have no place lin the.measure that is
now under consideration.
In recent tariff discussions that re-
lated to wool and hides. the Montana
senators havel demonstrated to their
associates thatItheysare 'live ones."
and fully prepared to meet fany attack
made by the opposition. In q running
debate upon thejfree hide proposition,
for instance, Senator Carter distin-
guished himself by putting some of
his opponents to rout by good-natured
repartee, while the arguments of 9TH
ers we're refuted by q destructive vol.
ley of reliable protective ammunition.
AZ an all. around, good working
team, Messrs. Carter, Dixon and
Pray constitute q congressional dele
CATION of which their constituency
have reason to be proud. 1t will not
suffer by comparison with that OF
any other state in the union.