Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-03-23

such spirit, one will espouse an opinion,
and, becoming stubbornly welded to 1t, he
will call it principle, aud fancy that, be-
cause others will not see as HE sees it, they
seek an undue advantage. Do it not seem
that, hitherto, each one has asked himself,
.'what is the highest price cen successfully
demand for my property? Are the urgenees
of the soltmnkers not so imperative that they
will yield to my peculiar views rather than
submit to the existing state OF things?'
Let me inquire, is there a single parcel OF
salt property in The county that does not, in
the opinion Of its owner, possess some pecu-
liar value distinguishing 1t from other prop.
erty similarly stuated2 But this is humaR
nature. and it ought not 10 be expected that
salt makeis should divest themselves of a
common weakness, at a time when, of all
other times, they should be permitted 70 man
ifest II most, There is not one of them IN
such pecuniary condition as to enable him
10 say al will do thus" ,"'or al will do tn at,
hut will do nothing else" There is not
enc OF them who has the moral righ to throw
himself upon his dignity-upon his inde-
Ipendence-or upon any other impracticable
position, and say that, unless his view OF
what is right and proper prevail, he will
stand aloof and endeavor to take care OF him
self. He has no right 10 involve others in
ruin. The idea that principle forbids him
from voluntarily taking less for his property
than lie may think IT is worth, relatively or
intrinsically, or from buying the property OF
others, at higher rate than comports with
his standard Of value, is to take curious
view of moral virtues-of the obligations
that rest upon him as a member OF society,
whe the cor sequences OF his action, or non
| action, are visited upon his family, his friends
and the whole community
Few OF lis get what we think we deserve,
in our business intercourse with the world.
We aim at our own advantage with lit
tie regard for that of others. Notwithstand-
| ing we may profess good motives, our actions
disclose to the world the underlying selfish
ness Of human nature. In a consolidation Of
salt property, we are willing that the basis
shall be self f'interest-Self. p, ,eserv ation.-
! With such a consolidation, property now
unp:oductive--an not only so, but self con-
suming, by accumulation Of interest--be-
| comes at once productive. Although it may
bring to :he owner, at the outset, little more
than half what he deems its true value, it
becomes an active, multiplying capital, and
in few years will return to him more than
sale, out-and out, would at his estimated
value. Then, is it not better consulting his
own interest alone, that he should submit TO
| q resucton-a sacrifice even, now-rather
than to permit consumption of the whole
by accumulating debt? Salt property cannot
maintain even its present valuation. The
longer consolidation is deferred, the greater
will be the dlminution in It's aggregate value.
Stability is an important ingredient of value.
| The Ohio works are now self-sustainIng =
The product of their furnaces is taking pos
session OF the markets hitherto almost exclu-
Sively claimed by Kanawha. The belief that
our salt is greatly superior to that of the
! Ohio works, is entertained by a very small
proportion of ordinary consumers-perhaps
| by not more than one in ten--so that the fu-
ture Of Kanawha salt property can derive
little brilliancy from that idea, whether WELL
| founded or not.
| njorv Il ,cto u fol1o mo L ipo
here, for series of years past, until owner
ship of salt property so far from giving credit
| to the poSS eSSoT, is an injury tc name 9TH
erwise good. No man will buy salt property
In the hope that any prospective price OF salt
can be remuneratiye without consolIda tio2.
| Who would buy unhnproved salt property as
safe, productive investment of money!
Who would buy that W hich is improved, wit h
the inte ntion Of operating it, without a per-
ma nent arrangement? Then, whence the
7alue of isolated salt property, be its present
condition what it may? Its value has been
steadily depreciating for fifteen years. What
| is there in the future on which TO build
! hopes Of improvement? Nothing! No one
I flatteTs himself with such an idea, uncon-
nected with consolidation. Our hills, on ce
valuable only as aifording fuel for the manu-
| facture of salt, are lookt d to now only as the
source Of coal oil. Then, what are the
owners Of salt property waiting for2 For the
they waiting for capital, elsewt ere abundant,
to come ne,e and seek Investment in salt
| property? When it does come, it will be af-
ter they have effected a consultation, to buy
their stock. Why not, then, if they really
wish to extricate themselves from debt, hear,
each one, his share of trying to agree? The
pride of doing right--of doing ones duty
is an aspiration worthy Of sensible man,
and gives higher evidence of merit than does
any assumption of dignfed difference, or
of personal Independence. No one can
Justly maintain the character Of q gentleman
far less hat of a christial--and be III differ
ent to the claims of justice, and W hich would
prompt the payment of his debtS--not pay
ment at a future, day, when he may flatter
himself that he may be able to do so without
incopvenience TO himSelf--but payment when
he promised to pay. 1t is trne, considerable
! latitude as to time, is claimed as an almost
immemerial usage-a claim which one would
not allow in self debate; low as the order of
Kanawha morals, IN this connection, is conce-
ded to be. Then, for the sake of common
! justice, mend this state ofthings. Try to kar-
mo liZe--Seem to agree. There is more virtue
in such seeming, than there is in obstinacy.
Mortified selflove has done more to distract
your councils, than all differences Of opinion
comDlned. No one can claim for himself
superiority Of knowledge which would require
Difference to his judgment, rather than TO the
combined opinions OF other salt makers--even
though it be in reference to property of which
he is the owner, and with which he is most
intimately acqualnted-and reasonably eX-
pect to have his claims allowed. But is there
OF you who will admit that bI anne, individu-
ally, ce n be properly laid at your door? Not
one. Nor is it probable that one is greatly
more blameaDle than another. Then, meet
together, in spirit Of compromise-heare each
others views, and accept that plan, whether
as 20 the aggregate valuation of the combined
,fu tn he uol, ion nf
each others property, and on which the great
body ofthose interested may center-whe ther
it comports with your views or not. If you
will meet together in this spirit, determined
to do What is right-conced,ng that others
views of what right is. may be rs honestly en-
tertained as your own--the owners of salt
property in Kanawha can form joint-stock
company in one hour--which will not only
enable them to pay their debts, but afford
reasonable guarantee of future independence
for themSe Ives. .F.. u.