Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-12-10
NA1OKS LABOR
PROBLEM
OVER MILLION AND A HALF
WoMEfs WORK AS FARM HANDS
IN THE UNITED STATES.
BY Peter Radford

4 S4tAss6@@*EM n4NG AA8 tA&6 III 8u4LAlE
That prEIblem is-women In the field
The 1ast federal census report
show vre now have 1.5I4,000 womel
working In the field. most of then
south o& the Mason and Dixon line
There we're approximately a million
negro slaves working in the fields
when LIBERATED by the emancipation
proclamation. We have freed oul
slaves and our women have taker
their places In bondage. We have
broken The shackles on the negroe,
and welded them upon our daughters
The ChaIn-Gana Of Civilization.
A million women I'm bondage In thu
southern fields form the chain-gang o.
civilization - the Industrial tragedy
OF the are. There is no overseer quite
50 cruel as that Of unrestrained greed
no whir that stings like the lash o
subornen destiny, and no auctioneer's
block quite so revolving as that OF or
ganized avarice.
The president OF the United States
was recently lauded by the press. and
very properly so. for suggesting medi
alton between the engineers and rail
road managers in adjusting theiI
schedule Of time and pay. The engi
neers threatened to strike IL their
wages we're not increased from ap
proximately ten to eleven dollars per
day and service reduced from ten to
eight hours and q similar readjust
ment OF the overtime schedule. Our
women are working In the field, many
OF them barefooted. for less than SO
cents per day. and their schedule ia
the rising sun and the evening star
and after the days work is over they
milk the COWS, slop the hogs and rock
the baby to sleep. Is anyone mediat.
ing over their problems. and to whom
shall they threaten a strike?
Congress has listened approvingiy
to those who toll ut the forge and be.
hind the counter. and many Of our
Statesmen have smiled at the threats
and have famed the fame Of unrest
among Industrial laborers. But won.
en- are a. surely the final victims OF
industrfzI warfare aF. they are the
burden-bearers Ia the war between ma
tions. ana those who arbitrate and
mediate the differences between capi.
tai and labor should not forget that
when the expenses OF any industry are
unnecessarily increased. society foots
the bill by drafting q new consignment
OF women from the home to the field.
Pinch no crumb From Women's Crust
OF Bread.
No financial award can be made
without someone footing the bin, and
we commend to those who accept the
responsibility Of the distribution Of In
dustrial justice, the still small voice of
the woman in the field as she pleads
for mercy, and We beg that they pinch
no crumb from her crust OF bread or
put another patch upon her ragged
garments.
We beg that they listen to the
scream Of horror from the eagle on
every American dollar that Is wrung
from the brow of toiling women and
hear the Goddess of Justice hiss at a
verdict 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 field? VIII not these powerful
exponents Of human rights turn their
talent. energies and influence to her
relief? VIII the Goddess Of Liberty
enthroned at Washington hold the cal
louse6 hand and soothe the feverish
brow of her sex who sows and reaps
the nations harvest or VIII she permit
the male of the species to shove
women-weak and weary-from the
bread-line Of industry to the back al
leys Of poverty?
Women and Children First.
The census enumerators tell us that
OF the 1 1.514. 900 women who work in the
fields as farm hands 400. 900 are six
teen years Of age and under. What is
the final destiny OF nation whose fu.
ture mothers spend their girlhood days
behind the plow. pitching hay and
hauling manure. and what IL to become
Of womanly 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 or and
the companionship of the plow7
In that strata between the ages Of
sixteen and forty-five are $50, 900 wom-
en- working as farm hands and many
or them with sucking babes tug
ging at their breasts. az drenclied
in perspiration. they WELD the scythe
and guide the plow. What is to be.
come Of that nation where poverty
breaks the crowns Of the queens of
the home: despair hurls q mothers
love from its throne and hunger drives
innocent children from the schoolroom
20 the hoe?
The census bureau shows that 1885,
900 Of these women are forty-fiye
years Of age and over. There a no
more pitiful sight I'm civilization than
these sanity mothers Of Israel stopped
with age. drudging IN the field from
sun until sun and at night drenching
their dingy pillows with the tears OF
despair n their aching hearts take
Il all to God In prayer. Civilization
strikes them blow when 1T should
give them q crown. and their only
friend IL he who broke bread with
beggars and said; -Come unto me all
ye that are weary and heavy laden and
I win give you rest"
on. Americai The land OF the free
and the home Of the brave. the
worlds custodian OF chivalry, the
champion OF human rights and the de-
fender Of the oppressed-shall we per.
init our naaidens fair to be torn from
the hearthstone by the ruthless hand
Of destiny and chained to the plovf
Shah ne permit our faithful wives,