p. 4 - 4 A few days ago, the muscular and unclean ruffian who controls the Staats-Zeitung and the local politics of Cook County, devoted a column of his journal to a denunciation of some one at Springfield whom he repeatedly denominated a "state thief". The offense of this party was ostensibly that he does the state printing; his real offense probably is that he protested against the state legislature being dictated to, or bullied by, the Lantz-Knecht of the Staats-Zeitung.

Hesing designates this Springfield editor as a "state thief", for the reason that he does the state printing. If a man who does the state printing becomes a "state thief", what should a man be termed who "gets away" with twice as much money in proportion to population by his manipulation of the city's printing? If one be a state thief is not the other, at least a city thief? Under the present infamous law whose passage was secured by city thief Hesing, for the benefit of city thief Hesing's newspaper, the city is obliged to publish the official proceedings in German at his own rates.

There is no opportunity for competition, as is the case with the English 2papers; and, hence, taxpayers are absolutely forced to pay this city thief something like $20,000 per annum. It is a scandalous outrage; a bold and inexcusable robbery. If the state legislature wishes to do Chicago a favor, and to perform a service in the interest of decency and right, it will at once repeal this law, by either doing away entirely with this catering to a foreign element by publishing official proceedings and advertisements in German, or by placing city thief Hesing on an equality with newspapers published in the English language.

This city thief Hesing aims to be mayor. He has captured the chairman of the Citizens' Association with a view to bringing this about. He is laboring at Springfield to so manipulate the new incorporation act that certain of his friends, himself included, will have the route smoothed to official preferment, while his enemies will be rendered ineligible to re-election. He is also laboring to so manipulate this incorporation act that his annual levy upon the city's finances to the extent of $20,000 will not be disturbed.

Let the legislature understand this; and let them also comprehend that this man Hesing in no particular represents the better classes of the people of Chicago. He is thoroughly disreputable himself; his associations are disreputable; 3and the people and interests that he represents are precisely of the same character. If the legislature understands this and is willing to labor for the good of the respectable tax-paying element of Chicago, let them at once repudiate this man Hesing and all his works.