The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1914-12-26
NATIONS LABOR:
PROBLEM
OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
WOMEN WORK As FARM HANDS
IN THE UNITED STATES.
Nv Peter Radford

0y Peter Radfor6
Lecturer National Farmers Union.
Our government never faced 90 tre-
mendous . problem as that now lying
dormant. at the doors Of congress and
the legislatures, and which. when
aroused, will shake this nation from.
center to circumference, and make
civilization hide it's face in shame.
That problem is-women In the field.
The last federal census reports
show we now have l,514.0 women
working in the field, most Of them
south Of the Mason and Dixon line.
There were approximately = 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 shackles OF the negroes
and welded them upon our daughters.
The chaln-cans Of Civilization.
A million women in bondage in the
southern fields form the chain-gang Of
civilization the industrial tragedy
Of the age. There IL no overseer quite
30 cruel as that of unrestrained greed.
no whip that stings like the lash Of
suborned destiny, and no auctioneer's
block quite so revolving ~ that Of or
ganized avarice.
The president Of the United States
was recently lauded by the press. and
very properly 80. for suggesting medi-
alton between the. pgineers and rail-
road managers III 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 and service reduced from ten to
eight hours and similar readjust.
ment Of the overtime schedule. Our
women are working in the field, many
of them barefooted. for less than 50
cents per day, and their schedule Is
the rising sun and the evening star,
and after the days work 10 over they
milk the cows. slop the hogs and rock
the baby to sleep. ID anyone mediat-
ing over their problems, and to whom
shall they threaten . strike?
Congress has listened approvinsly
to those who toll at the forge and be-
hind the counter. and many Of our
statesmen have smiled at the threats
and have tanned the fame Of unrest
among industrial laborers. But womr
EN- are a. surely the flnal victims Of
industrial warfare a. they ara tho
;,burden.bearers In the war between ma
itlona, and those who arbftrAte and
mediate the ditIeRences between capi.
tai ana labor should mot forget that
when the expenses Of any industry are
unnecessarily increased. society roots
the bin hy drafting new consignment
OF women from the home to the neld.
Pinch no crumb' From Women's Crust
Of Bread.
No financial award can be made
without someone footing the bill. 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 a. 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 10 wrung
from the brow OF toiling women and
hear the Goddess Of Justice hiss at .
verdict that increases the want OF
woman to satisfy the greed Of man.
The women behind tho 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? Will not these powerful
exponents of human rights turn their
talent. energies and influence to her
relief? VIII tho Goddess Of Liberty
enthroned at Washington hold the cal
loused hand and soothe the feverish
brow Of her sex who sows and reaps
the nations harvest or will she permit
the male Of the species to shove
women-weak and weary-from the
bread-line of industry to the back a.
loys OF poverty!
Women and Children FIRST.
I The census enumerators tell us that
OF the 1.514. 900 women who work in the
fields az farm hands 409. 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 Is to become
of womanly culture and refinement
that grace the home. charm society
and enthuse man to leap to glory In
noble achievements II orr daughters
'sre raised in the society Of the OK and
the companionship Of the plow?
In that strata between the ases OF
sixteen and forty-fve are $780, 900 wom-
en- working az farm hands and many
of them with sucking babes tug.
ging 1t their breasts, - drenched
In perspiration. they wield the scythe
.ini,xino shr parer4n