The Republicans have their hands full. Their "enfant terrible," Private Joe, does place them in many a predicament, and that "Millionaire Dutchman," as the candidate and the state auditor call Altgeld, when they mention him on divers occasions, is so awfully particular. With his d----German thoroughness he sticks his nose in everything, snoops around, and when he speaks, he invariably has the proof of his arguments in his pants pocket.

That's how it was with the school question, which is now taboo as far as Fifer is concerned. The dumb excuse that the Edwards law was, after all, only a proposition worked out by the Chicago school board, made Fifer the goat - the Germans say "lamb" - and his ignorance or conniving, take your choice, had to be admitted finally - and by himself.

Now comes the prison labor question - with no help in sight. Altgeld fires shot after shot and builds his speeches on the voluminous and voluble reports of Caldwell, erstwhile private secretary to his excellency, Governor Oglesby, methodically dated, December 15, 1891, and duly signed. This document, properly executed by an eminent former Republican official, cannot 2even be jarred by the party spirits.

To this must be added the official minutes of the legislature and the Governor's message; and all of them function exclusively to provide campaign amunition for Altgeld, and such documentary evidence gives lucid proof that Governor Fifer - the constitutional amendment notwithstanding, - since it inhibits convict labor as a competition to free trade - did his utmost not only to continue the nefarious practice but to develop it along augmented lines, to the great distress of Chicago, where so many diligent workers and factory owners felt the blow.

Ever since Altgeld brought the question into the limelight, the opposition to this outlawed, oppressive system flared up anew with Chicago in the vanguard. The coopers, shoemakers, saddlers, stone-masons, upholsterers, employers and employees, are fully conversant with the penitentiary labor proposition from bitter experience. They are aware that it inexorably, irrevocably and relentlessly squeezes an independent person to the wall, if he endeavors to compete with prison products; they are recognizing Altgeld's heroic fight and remember that it originated in his writings, long before he entertained any contemplations about the candidacy for Governor.

Of interest to brickyards and ceramic workers, nine-tenths of whom are Germans, might be the recent address of Governor Fifer to the legislature. The Governor advocates the expansion of the system to include brick manufacturing; this, five years after the people of Illinois resorted to a referendum and broke the prison yoke labor threat with a 20,000 majority. In his message he speaks of extensively planned brick-kilns, as if this system were the century's greatest blessing and no legal inhibition existed. And then Fifer has the temerity to assert that he has not done anything to uphold prison-made articles.

The message bears the date of January 8, 1891. We quote from the official record of the Senate, page 16, and recommend that our Republican friends submit this to the German brick manufacturers for thorough perusal and study. Fifer says:

"The convicts who do not come within the category of contract workers, will be employed on the buildings for mentally deficient criminals, on the farm, in and around the house of the prison warden, in other parts of the institution, and in the manufacture of bricks. I urgently appeal to you, to at least 4double the equipment for the brick manufacturing department, as thereby at least another contingent of 75 felons will be given profitable "(for the contractors, presumably)" employment. Much money and time has been spent by the state for the development and expansion of this industry (!) and now, after the lapse of many years this prison industry has been developed to such a high degree of perfection that the business (bricks made by prison labor) has shown splendid results."

If Fifer can continue unabated in the exercise of his free will, then this trade in bricks will surely accrue to the benefit of our local brickyard owners and grow so immensely that a few more lucky contractors will be millionaires.