The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-09-07
PRAY HAS MADE GOOD.

While It is impossible at this time
to forecast the action of the republi.
can state convention, or to intelli.
gently discuss probabilities in regard
to the congressional nomin alton before
the lines are we'll drawn, The Review
is of the opinion that there is going to
be . mighty strong sentiment in favor
Of sending Charlie Pray back to the
lower house of congress for another
term.
The lists are open. This is Q prize
we'll worth winning. Every republic
can, properly qualified, has q right to
aspire to the nomination, which under
prevailing conditions, will be equiva-
lent to election. And The Review
would not cast aspersions upon the
desires of any other member OF the
party who might aspire to this coveted
honor.
But, in his quiet and effective mar.
ner, Congressman Pray has strength.
ened himself with the people of the
state at large more firmly than per.
haps everyone realizes. If you were
to take q poll of Montana citizenship
at this time, Independent Of party
afaliations, probably 80 per cent. of
the people would express themselves
favorsbly towards nj present con.
gresham. His work in Washington
has been fully appreciated by the peo-
pie.
Congressman Pray has al almost
infinite capacity for looking after de.
tails, and those are the things that 60
to make up the life of the really sue.
cessful congressman while he is son
the job" He went to Washington
without any pull of any sort. Joseph
Dixon, who preceded him, "caught
the speakers eye" on the instant,
having q pleasant acquaintanceship
with Uncle Joe that counted wonder
fully toward his unusually early sue
cesses in his W congressional ca.
reer. OF course, the favor of the
speaker was not in any sense respon-
sible for Dixon's continued success in
the house. That was accomplished by
him through sheer force of character
and the ability that seems to natur-
ally fit him for q career at Washing
ton.
The fact of the difference in condi-
tions which the two men faced on go.
ing to Washington is simply men.
toned here for the reason that Mr..
Pray has probably suffered some by
comparison with Mr.. Dixon, since his
career has not been SO meteoric as
that of his predecessor. Mr.. Pray
has had the experience common to
nine out of ten congressmen-he has
been obliged to win his way, slowly
and patiently. His digniied attitude,
however, easily overcame the preju.
dice existing toward q ''new congress.
man" and he has been able to be USE
full to his state from the very moment
he set foot in the national legislative
halls.
The humblest citizen of Montana,
though with but q comparatively triv.
ial complaint or request, has never
applied to Congressman Pray in vain.
He has been interchangeable In giving
attention to these wants of his consti.
tuents. Old timers say that Montana
never had a congressman who did so
we'll along this line, and the net result,
to the state has been of very great
Importance.
All this Is going to count strongly
in Mr.. Prsy's favor. And though il
is impossible at this time, as before
stated, to forecast the action of the
state convention, the man who gets
Charlie Pray's job away from him
has q considerable task ahead of him
Dawson County Review.