Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1914-12-31

NATIONS l.,,,5OR
PROBLEM
OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
WOMEN WORK As FARM HANDS
IN THE UNITED STATE.
BY Peter Radford


Our government never faced 80 tre-
mendous a problem Us that now lying
dormant at the doors Of congress and
the legislatures, aud which. when
aroused. viii shake this nation from
center to circumference. and make
civilization hide Its face In shame
That problem is-women in the field.
The last federal census reports
show We now have t.5l4,000 women
working In the field. most Of them
south Of the Mason and Dixon line.
There were approximately n million
negro slaves working In the fields
when liberated by the emancipation
proclamation We have freed our
slaves and our women have taken
their places in bondage. We have
broken the shackies Off the negroes
and welded them upon our daughters.
The chaln-6ane Of Civilization.
A million women In bondage In the
southern fields form the chain gang OF
civilization -- the industrial tragedy
OF tho age. There IL no overseer quite
so cruel as that OF unrestrained greed.
no whip that stings like the lash OF
suhorned destiny. and no auctioneer's
block quite so revolving as that Of or
ganized avarice.
The president of the United States
was recently iauded by the press, and
very properly SO, for suggesting medi-
alton between the engineers and rail-
road managers in adjusting their
schedule Of time and pay The engi-
neers threatened to strike II their
wages were not increased from ap-
proximately ten to eleven dollars per
day ard service reduced from ten to
eight hours and similar readiust'
ment OF the overtime schedule. Our
women are working In the field. many
OF them harefooted. for less than 81
cents per day. aud their schedule is
the rising sun and the evening star.
/ and after the days work is ever thssY
uilk the cows. slop the hogs and rock
| tha hahv to sleep Ia anyone medist'
/ irg over their problems, and to whom
shall they threaten strike9
Congress has listened approvinrly
20 those who toll AZ the forge and be
/ hind the counter. and many OF our
statesmen have smiled q, the threats
and have famed the fame OF unrest
among industrial lnhorers Fut WON
en- are as surely the final victims of
industrial warfare as they are the
harden.h bearers In the war between na-
tons ard those who arhitrate and
mediate the differences between capi-
tai aud labcr should not forget that
when the expenses ~ any industry are
( unnecessarily Increased. society foots
'he bin by drafting new consignment
OF women from the home to the Geld
Pinch no crurrb From Nomen's cruss
Of 6resd.
No financial award can be made
without someone footing the bill. an
We commend 10 those who accept the
~ possibility of the distribution of in.
tustrtai Justice the still small voice Of
'he woman in the Geld as she pleads
for mercy, and we beg that they pinch
no crumb from her crust Of bread or
pm another patch upon her ragged
garments
We beg that they listen TO the
cream OF horror from the eagle on
avery American dollar that is wrurg
from the brow OF toilinr women and
hear the Goddess uf Justice hiss AZ \
v0rdtct that increases the want Of
woman to satisfy the greed Of man.
The women behind the counter and
IN The factory cry aloud for sympathy
and the press thunders out in their
defense and the pulpit pleads for
mercy. but how about the woman In
the heide VIII not these powerful
eNponents of human rights turn their
talent. energies and influence TO her
relef- VIII the Goddess of Liberty
enthroned al Washington hold the cal
loused hand and soothe the feverish
brow Of her sex who sows and rears
the nations harvest or will she permit
the male Of the species TO shove
women-weak and weary--from the
hread.line OF industry to the back al
leys OF poverty
Women and Children First.
7'he census enumerators tell us that
nt the l,sli.ooo women who work In the
fields as farm hands toe 0oo are six.
teen years OF age and under. What is
the final destiny ct nation whose fu-
'ure mothers spend their sirlhcod davs
behind the pillow. pitching hay and
hauling manure. and what is to become
Of wcmaniy culture and refinement
that grace the home. charm society
and enthuse man to leap to glory In
noble achievements IL our daughters
are raised in the society Of the OK and
he ccmranionship Of the plowe
In that strata between the ages OF
sixteen and tcrty-tive are $50, 900 wom-
On working IS farm hands and many
VI them with sucking babes tug
sing at their breasts. as drenehed
in perspiration, they WELD the scythe