The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-01-21
NATIONS ! LABOR
PROBLEM
OVER A. MILLION AND f. HALF
WOMEN WORK AZ FARM HANDS
lN THE UNITED srArE,, :
~ Pstsrs Radfofa


working IN the feld. most Of them
south Of the Mason and Dixon line
There were approximately : million
negro slayes working ip 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 tho shackles on the negroes
and welded them upon our daughters,
This chaIn-oans Of Civilization. 3
A million women IA bondage In the
southern fields form the Changing OF
civilization the Industrial tragedy
Of the age. There is no overseer quite
so cruel az that Of unrestrained greed.
no whip that stings like the lash Of
suborned destiny, and no auctioneer's
block quite SO revolving as that Of or.
gained avarfce.
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 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 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 is
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 approyingly
to those who toll at the forge and be.
hind the counter, and many Of our
statesmen have smiled at the threats
and have famed the flame of unrest
among industrial laborers. But WON.
en- are as surely the final victims of
industrial warfare as they are the
burden-bearers in the war between ma
lions, and those who arbitrate and
mediate the differences between CAPT.
tai and labor should not forget that
when the expenses Of any industry are
unnecessarily increased. society foots
the bill by drafting 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 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 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
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? Will not these powerful
opponents Of human rights turn their
talent, energies and influence to her
relief? Will the Goddess of Liberty
enthroned at Washington hold the cal.
loused hand and soothe the feverish
brow Of her sex who sows and reapa
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 al
legs Of poverty?
Women and Children First.
The census .enumerators tell us thai
Of the 1871, 900 women who work in the
fields as farm hands 1000 are six.
teen years Of age and under. What ID |
the final destiny Of q nation whose fu.
ture mothers spend their girlhood days
behind. the pillow, pitching hay and |
manure. and what is to become
Of womanly culture and refinement
that grace the home, charm society
and enthuae man to leap to glory in
noble achievements II our daughters
are raised IN the society Of the OF and |
The companionshfp Of the piow?
In that strata between the ages of
sixteen and forty.flve are csc, 900 WON.
IN working a. farm hands and many
II them With sucking babes tug.
yfng ct their breasts, % drenched /
u Precipitation. they WELD the scythO
md guide the pillow. What is to BE-
,ome of that nation where poverty
Freaks the crowns of the queens Of +
he home; despair hurts . mothers
owe from its throne and hunger drives
children from the schoolroom
o the hoe?
The census bureau shows that 1885,
100 Of these women are forty-five
Iears Of age and over. There 10 no !
more pitiful sight in civilization than
hese sanity mothers Of Israel stopped
Nth age. drudgtng in the field from
un until sun and at night drenchinG l.
heir dingy pillows with the tears Of
despair % their aching hearts take