The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1915-01-15
NATIONS LABOR
PROBLEM
OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
WOMEN WORK AS FARM HANDS
IN the UNITED STATES.
BY Peter Radford


mendous a 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 its face In shame.
That problem is-women In the field.
The last federal census reports
show we now have 1,514,000 women
working In the field. most of them
south of the Mason and Dixon line.
There were approximately a 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 off the negroes
and welded them upon our daughters.
The chain.Gang Of Civilization.
A million women In, bondage In, the
southern fields form the chain-gang of
civilization - the industrial tragedy
of the age. There is no overseer quite
so cruel as 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
ganized avarice.
The president of the United States
was recently lauded by the press, and ]
very properly so, for suggesting medl-
alton between the engineers and rail-
road managers in adjusting their
schedule of time and pay. The eng1-
neers threatened to strike if their
wages were not increased from ap-
proximately ten to eleven dollars per
day and service reduced from ten to
eight hours and a similar readjust-
ment of the overtime schedule. Our
women are working in the field, many
of them barefooted, for less than 81
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 strike?
Congress has listened approvingly
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 wom-
en- are as surely the final victims OF
Industrial warfare as they are the
burden.bearers in the war between ma
tons. and those who arbitrate and
mediate the differences between capl-
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, ana
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
M crunb from her crust of bread or
nut another patch upon her ragged
garments.
We beg that they listen to the
scream of horror from the eagle on
everv American dollar that is wrune
nom the brow of toiling women and
hear the Goddess Of Justice hiss at q
verdict that increases the want OF
woman to satisfy the greed of man.
The women behind the counter ano
IN the factory cry aloud for sympathy
and the press thunders out in theil
dafe,se and the pulpit pleads fol
mercy. but how about the woman II
+ha field? VIII not these powerfu
ernonents of human rights turn theil
talent energies and influence to hel
relief? WIN the Goddess OF lipert;
enthroned at Washin gton hold the ca,
1onsed hand and soothe the feverisl
brow 81 her seq who sows and reap
+ha nations harvest or will she PERM
the male Of the species to shove
wnmen-weak and weary-from tn
hread.line Of industry to the back al
legs Of poverty7
women and Children First.
Tho census enumerators tell us tina
~ Tia / .614 900 women who work In tn
nalda a. farm hands 100000 are sil
teen years of age and under. What ).
tha anal destiny Of nation whose II
+nra mothers spend their girlhood Gay
behind the plow, pitching nay an
henlinr manure, and what is to becom
~ wonanly culture and refinemel
that grace the. home. charm socie.
and enthuse man to leap to glory
rohla achievements II our daughter
ara raised in the society OF the OK an
she companionship Of the plowf
In that strata between the oa ages
sixteen and forty-five are S5o.OOO WOE
IN -~.s-a~.. an farm hands and man