Ever since the opening of the present political campaign, the Chicago Tribune has, either by direct assertions, by sly innuendo, or by copying mendacious and slanderous statements from such vile blackmail organs, as the one edited in the German language by a notorious bounty-jumper, confidence man, and swindler, endeavored to impress upon its readers the belief that A. C. Hesing was a bankrupt; that he was seeking the county treasurership for the sole purpose of saving himself from utter ruin; that if defeated in this election he would be obliged to dispose of his interest in the Staats Zeitung and more to the same effect.

Now when such lies are printed by that hoary scoundrel, W. F. Storey, in the Times they are no more annoying than when printed in the German bounty-jumper and confidence swindler's dirty rag of a paper. For every intelligent being in Cook County is fully aware of the character of these men and their papers. Every decent and honest man, if called upon to choose between the credibility and truthfulness of the man Storey and that of the vilest convict in the Joliet state prison, would undoubtedly decide in favor of the convict. To be black 2guarded and slandered by the Chicago Times is rather a mark of distinction, since it places the object of Storeys wrath upon a plane with the many honorable men who, during a number of years, have been made the targets of the foul aspersions of the most disreputable sheet published on the face of the earth.

But the Chicago Tribune has not yet, in the public estimation, sunk to the same low depth as the Times. People still believe that if it were misled by political animosity into giving publicity to maliciously false statements, it would always be found willing to correct such statements and undo the wrong, thereby committed. Assuming that belief to be correct, I desire to communicate to the editor and the readers of the Tribune the real facts, out of which the above maliciously false statements have been manufactured.

To come to the point: A. C. Hesing is not a bankrupt, and is not in danger of becoming a bankrupt, even if he should fail to be elected county treasurer. He would then, as he is now, be able to take up and pay all his indebtedness, as it falls due, dollar for dollar and cent for cent. The total amount of his indebtedness is far less than one half of what the Tribune, by copying the lies of a vile swindler, would make its readers believe it was. It is less than one-half of the total indebtedness of the Chief Editor of the Chicago Tribune. And if A. C. Hesing 3should be obliged to pay all his debts now, before maturity, they would be fully covered by his assets, with perhaps, as much as one third of his interest in the Staats - Zeitung but certainly no more. That would leave him a handsome competence - would it not, For, the Staats - Zeitung as the editor of the Tribune and every banker in town knows full well, is one of the most solid establishments of its kind in the city, perhaps more so than any Chicago newspaper except one and to own a two-fifths interest in it, absolutely clear from all indebtedness would not be a very bad thing - would it?

It is true that a Planing Mill Joint Stock Company, of which I was not by any means the sole proprietor but a large shareholder, has during the panic of 1873, shared the fate of hundreds and thousands of other industrial establishments and gone through the bankruptcy court. Now, in a similar case, ninety-nine out of every hundred of your "highly respectable and honorable citizens" would probably cast their stock into the melting furnace of the court of bankruptcy and walk off like white winged angels. I did otherwise. For the very largest part of the indebtedness of the company I assumed personal responsibility, pledging myself to pay it to the last dollar and only requesting some time to enable me to do so. Since then a considerable amount of that indebtedness has been paid, and what yet remains to be paid is amply secured by assets.

Now, when the Associated Press Telegraph has made every newspaper resound the praise of Mr. Washburn of St. Paul for his having paid all his debts after some reasonable time, don't you think that it is rather inconsistent on the part of those papers, to denounce as a bankrupt and profligate a man, who is just now in course of doing the very same thing for which the said Mr. Washburn has been praised to the skies?

To sum up: A. C. Hesing is not a bankrupt; A. C. Hesing will, even if he should not be elected County Treasurer (he will be, though) much sooner be able to pay every cent of his indebtedness than Mr. Joseph Medill. He is willing to submit his private money affairs to the closest scruting of such prominent financial experts, as he opponents may agree upon with him and to forfeit all claims upon the support of his fellow citizens, if the result of such investigation should fail to prove his assertions, or to show that for the purpose of bettering his fortune or to avert financial disaster he is in less need of the office than the candidate supported by the Tribune.

In closing this letter, I desire to give Mr. Medill this parting advice: Be fair, be truthful; do not accept as facts the lies of scoundrels! And, to wind up, judge not, lest you may be judged.

A. C. Hesing