equally divided between the husband or wife living and
the heirs of those who are dead, or the heirs of all, if all are dead.

A married woman may contract, sue and be sued and carry on business in
her own name as if unmarried and her earnings are her sole and
separate property.

In 1896 an act was passed making it illegal for the husband to
mortgage household goods without the wife's signature. The same year
it was made a misdemeanor and punishable as such for a man to desert a
woman whom he married to escape prosecution for seduction.

The law declares the father and mother natural guardians and legally
entitled to the custody of the minor children, but in practice the
father has prior claim.

The support and education of the family are chargeable equally on the
husband's and the wife's property.

In 1886 the "age of protection" for girls was raised from 10 to 13
years; and in 1896, on petition of the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, from 13 to 15 years. The penalty is imprisonment in the
penitentiary for life or for any term of years not less than twenty.
An amendment was made in 1894 that "a man can not be convicted upon
the testimony of the person injured unless she be corroborated by
other evidence."

The same year this organization secured a law compelling the
separation of men and women prisoners in county jails.

SUFFRAGE: Since 1894 the right of any citizen to vote at any city,
town or school election, on the question of issuing any bonds for
municipal or school purposes, and for the purpose of borrowing money,
or on the question of increasing the tax levy, shall not be denied or
abridged on account of sex.

At all elections where women may vote, no registration of women shall
be required, separate ballots shall be furnished for the question on
which they are entitled to vote, a separate ballot-box shall be
provided in which all ballots cast by them shall be deposited, and a
separate canvass thereof made by the judges of the election, and the
returns thereof shall show such vote.

OFFICE HOLDING: Women are not forbidden by law to hold any office
except that of legislator.

In 1884 thirteen women were serving as county superintendents and ten
as superintendents of city schools; six were presidents, thirty-five
secretaries and fifty treasurers of school boards. In 1885 the school
board of Des Moines elected a woman city superintendent at a salary of
$1,800, with charge of eighty teachers, includi