Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-01-14

By Pstsf Rsdford

LoCturEI National EafmcEH UuloA
Our government never faced 30 tro-
mendous q problem a. that now lying
dormant at the doors Of congress and
the legislatures. and which, when
aroused, win 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 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
q broken the shackles OF the negroes
and welded them upon our daughters.
The chaIn-0ang 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 medi-
ofiOv, hakruaa,. <ha v,olu aora onN roll.
road managers in adjusting their
schedule OF time and pay. The engi-
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 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 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 fame of unrest
among industrial laborers. But WON
en- are as surely the final victims OF
industrial warfare as they are the
h,vrI ~, hot No.
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 OF
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 theil
defense and the pulpit pleads fol
mercy, but how about the woman In
the field? Will not these powerful
opponents OF human rights turn thei1
talent, energies and influence to heI
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 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 al
leys Of poverty?
Women and Children First.
The census enumerators tell US thai
of the /, 514, 900 women who work in the
fields as farm hands 100000 are six
teen years Of age and under. What Is
the final destiny of nation whose flu
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 If our daughters
are raised in the society of the OK and
the companionship of the pillow?
In that strata between the ages OF
sixteen and forty-five are $4,000 WON
en- working as farm hands and many
of them with sucking babes tug
ging at their breasts, as drenched
in perspiration, they WELD the scythe
and guide the pillow. What is to be
come of that nation where poverty
breaks the crowns Of the queens OF
the home; despair hurls a mothers
love from its throne and hunger drives
innocent children from the schoolroom
to the hoe?
The census bureau shows that 155,
900 Of these women are forty-1ve
years Of age and over. There is nc
more pitiful sight in 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 as their aching hearts take
It all to God in prayer. Civilization
strikes them a blow when 1t should
give them q crown, and their only
friend Is he who broke bread with
beggars and said: "Come unto me all
ye that are weary and heavy laden and
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