Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-03-15
Petition from the Manufacturers Of
Candles, Wax-lightS, Lamps, &c.

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Petition from the Manufacturers Of
Candles, Wax-lights, Lamps, &c.
To the Honorable the Members OF the
Chumber oi Deputies:
Gen,lcmen-You are in the ri n, way:
yor reject sbs!rac, theories: abundance,
cheapness concerns you little. You are
entirely occupied with the in,cres, OF the
producer, whom you are anxious to free
from foreign competition. In worl.
you wish 10 Sc, ure tho national market
to nctiona! lalor.
We come now TO offer you an sdmi.
rablc opportunity for the application Of
youf-wha, shall we say? your theory?
no, nothing is more deceiving than theo
ry;-your doctrine! your system! your
principle! Blu. you do no, like doc.
lynes; you hold systems in horror; and
as for principles, you declare sha. there
are such things in political economy.
We will say then, your practice; your
practice wi,hou. theory, and wi,hou,
principle.
We are subjected to the in,o!erab!e
competition Of a foreign rival, who en-.
joys. it would seem, such superior facil.
ties for the production oflgh,, ,ha; he is
enabled to inunda.e our national mar.
ket a, so exceedingly relucel a price,
,ha. the moment he appears, he draws
of all custom from US; and thus an i'm
portant branch Of French industry, with
all its innum .rable ramifcations, is sud.
denly reduced TO state Of complete stag,
nation. This rival, who is no other
than the sun, carries on so bitter a war
against US, that We have every reason TO
believe that he has been excited to this
course by our perfdious neighbor En-.
gland. (Gool diplomacy this, for the
present timely In this belief we nre con.
6rmed by the fact ,hs, in all hi, trans.
actions with this sproud island, he is much
more moderate and careful than with
US.
Our petition is, tho, i, wouli please
your honorable body to pass law where.
BY shall be directed the shut.ing up OF
all windows, dormers, skylrh,s, shut.
ters, curtains, vasis;as, nil.lc .be ufs, in
a word, all openings, holes chinks. and
assures. through which the light Of the
sun is used TO penetrate into our dwell.
linss, to the prejudice Of the profitable
manufactures which we fa,,er ourselves
we have been enabled to bcstow upon
the country! which country canno,
therefore, without ingra,itude, leave US
now to struggle unprotected through SO
unequal contest.
Wepray your honorable bo,ly not to
mistake our petition for a satire, nor to
repu!se US without hearing the reasons
which we have to advance in its favor.
A"d first, if, by shutting out as much
as spossiblc, all access to natural light,
you thus create the necessity for arti.
fetal light, is there in France an in.
dustrial pursuit which will not, through
some connection with this importan,
object, bs benefited by it.
If moro tallow be consumed, there
will arise necessity for an increase ol
cattle and sheep. Thus artificial inca
dows must be greater demand; and mca,
wool, leather, and above all, manure,
this basis Of agricultural riches, must
become more abundant.
"lf more oil be consumed, i. will
cause an increase in the cultivation OF
the poppy, the ve.tree, and the colza.
These plants, luxuriant and exhausting
TO the soil, will como in good time to
profit by the increased fertility, which
the raising Of cattle will have eommuni.
Gated to our fields. f
Our heaths will become covered with
resinous trees, Numerous swarms OF
bees will gather upon our mountains the
perfumed treasures. which are now cas-,
upon the winds, useless as the blossoms
from which they emanate. There is, in
short, no branch Of agriculture which
would not be greatly developed by the
granting Of our petition. 4 s
Navigation would equally profit
THOUSANDS Of vessels would soon be en-.