Daily globe., 1883-07-23
Il Side TSS3sp.

Il Side TSSWe.
Especial Telegram to the Globe
MILWAUKEE, July PA important ques-
ton bearing on taxation matters in this
state has already attracted much attention
and is likely to create an interest that will
take form in some kind of public political
action. There is probability that the
war on the telephone company begun at
Oshkosh may be transferred to this city,
If not spread over the whole state. I'm
der the law passed last winter all tele-
graph, telephone and railroad lines in the
state are called upon to pay license based
on their gross earnings in lieu of all other
taxes. The authorities at Oshkosh in
sisted on local license fee being paid
by the telephone company. The
company paid the fee under protest, and
will remove its business from the city, the
argument of the management being that
if the claim of Oshkosh be allowed. SINH
lar clans will be set up in every city in the
state. A measerehas been introduced in the
Milwaukee city council looking to the es-
tablishment of a local tax''on the telephone
company in the shape of license fee,
and is now pending in committee, but. is
ASs AAHASAy w pass IuST0 Is
be strong feeling in its favor among the
members of the trades assembly. S1bse-
quent to the passage CT the license Iordi-
nance IN Oshkosh measure was intro.
duced in the city council intended to de-
mand local license fee
from the Western Union Tel
egraph company. The authorizes of
the company Immediately notified the
mayor that If such measure should pass,
they would fight, and if necessary carr the
matter into the United States supreme
court. There is, however, a question
whether the present state law imposing a
license in lieu of all other taxes, would
stand the test of the state supreme court
on question of constitutionality, as the
state constitution provides that all taxa
ton must be on uniform system. And
rather than risk the matter in the courts.
the Western Union officials finally made
certain propositions to the city of Oshkosh
which the latter accepted, and the proposed
ordinance was killed. The gravity and
Importance of the whole matter underIy-
ing the question of special taxation in this
state are so great that there is likely to be
much excitement over them and possibly
not little litigation. The telephone com
pany claims that inasmuch as it does not
impose any local burden for the mainten-
ance of its business but promptly meets
all obligations in the way of keeping
pavements in good shape around its poles,
etc., 1t should not be taxed by local ordin-
ance while the railroad companies enjoy all
the advantage attendant upon care of
streets, policing stations, ETC., at local ex-
pense and if any local tax is to be col
lected the railroads should payit.
NOT rELEGRAPHER's OUTRAGE.
Especial Telegram to the GIobe.I
ST LOUIS, July 22-Considerable excite
ment was caused yesterday by a report
that an employe of the Western Union
Telegraph company had been murdered in
East st. Louis by strikers. Investigation
showed that the rumor arose from q mur.
derous assault upon a night watchman of
the Baltimore & Ohio company, but the
strikers had nothing to do with it. The
watchman, whose name is Georpe Nc.
Lean, is aged sixty. He was on duty
watching the wires along the Wabash
track, half mile north of East ST. Touis.
about O'Clock Saturday morning. when
he came suddenly upon three car
thieves, who were engaged in
forcing an entrance to a freight
car. He was so close and advancieg to-
wards the men that they probably took
him for railroad watchman,and supposed
him to be seeking their capture. At all
events they at once opened fire upon him
at short range. One of the men fred two
shots from revolver, a bullet shatterinc
the left arm below the elbow. The old
man fell to the ground from the shock, and
while lying there begging for mercy re-
celVed charge of buckshot from a shot
gun, completely riddling his left side from
hip to shoulder and inficting wounds from
which it is hardly possible for him to re-
cover. Nearly an hour afterward some of the
Wabash employees, while walking along the
tracks discovered the unconscious form of
Mclean and carried him to his residence
IN Brooklyn. DR.. Winton was immediately
summoned and found the old man still un-
conscious and bleeding profuselv from his
numerous wounds. Early this morning he
regalned consciousness and narrated the
story related above. He is of the opinion
that his assailants were colored men, and
Is positive they were attempting to break
into the freight cars when interrupted.
NEWSPAPERS AND BUSINESS Dissatisfied
MEMPHIS, July 22-There is no change
to report at the telegraph Office tonight.
manager Howard has nine men on duty in
the operating room and business is being
moved more rapidly than heretofore. The