650 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



that State would give him if she died intestate ; and in one State she 

 can make a will only by her husband's written consent. 



In nine States special enactments qualify a married woman to be 

 executrix or administratrix ; in others the right is secured under other 

 forms of law. 



In twenty-four States a married woman may sue and be sued sepa- 

 rately from her husband ; in other States provision is made for their 

 union in various specified suits. 



In fourteen States married women can cause their husbands' lives 

 to be insured for their benefit, and retain the policy against all outside 

 claims, within certain limits of amount. In twenty-two States there 

 are homestead acts which secure a certain amount of property, the 

 home and its belongings, to the widow or wife, against all creditors of 

 the husband. In fifteen States a married woman may carry on and 

 control a separate business without limitations ; in ten States she can 

 do so with some restrictions, which vary from a simple requirement 

 that she shall file her intention to do so in court to the necessity of 

 proving that her husband does not support her properly. 



In three States special enactments provide for trusteeships to guard 

 the wife's interests against the husband's claims ; in other States simi- 

 lar results may be attained by marriage contracts, and special pro- 

 visions of various sorts. In seven States a woman is solely responsible 

 for her personal debts. In three States a married woman is respon- 

 sible for her husband's debts, and in two others is so responsible unless 

 taking certain legal pi'ecautions at marriage. In six States her sepa- 

 rate property is liable for family debts, although in most instances she 

 is so liable only in the second degree, all the husband's property being 

 jeopardized first. 



In seven States the division of property on the death of either hus- 

 band or wife, whether there be any issue or not, is very nearly or quite 

 equal ; in most of the other States the widower has nearly all the 

 rights in the wife's estate he had under the common law, and she has a 

 life interest in his real, and absolutely only a fraction of his personal, 

 property. 



In ten States, husbands and wives can make contracts with each 

 other. 



In regard to the rights of guardianship, the father is generally 

 held first natural guardian of the children, and the mother second. 



In Iowa, which, on the whole, seems to lead all the other States in 

 giving equal marital and parental rights to husband and wife, the two 

 parents are equal guardians of the children, neither having the power 

 to remove them from the home without the consent of the other, and 

 on the death of either parent the other is sole guardian. Moreover, in 

 this State the wife can not be compelled by the husband to leave the 

 home, against her wishes, to follow him in any wanderings. In Iowa, 

 also, the family expenses are chargeable equally to both parents, and 



