I. In 1890 we secured a law which made the wife's wages payable
only to herself.

II. From the General Assembly of 1892-93 we secured a law giving
a married woman the right to make a will and control her real
estate.

III. From the General Assembly of 1894 we secured the present Law
for Husband and Wife. The main features of this are:

1. Curtesy and dower are equalized. After the death of either
husband or wife, the survivor is given a life estate in one-third
of the realty of the deceased and an absolute estate in one-half
of the personalty.

2. The wife has entire control of her property, real and
personal. She owns her personal property absolutely, and can
dispose of it as she pleases.[285] The statute gives her the
right to make contracts and to sue and be sued as a single woman.
This enables a married woman to enter business and hold her stock
in trade free from the control of her husband and liability to
his creditors.

3. The power to make a will is the same in husband and wife, and
neither can by will divest the other of dower or interest in his
or her estate.

These splendid property laws are pronounced by leading lawyers to
be the greatest legal revolution which has taken place in our
history.

A section of the new constitution made it the duty of the General
Assembly to provide by law as soon as practicable for Houses of Reform
for Juvenile Offenders. The State Woman's Christian Temperance Union
decided in 1892 to urge it to act speedily, and the Equal Rights
Association co-operated heartily, with a special view to securing
provision for girls equal to that for boys, and women on the Board of
Managers. A joint committee from the two associations was appointed,
with Mrs. Frances E. Beauchamp chairman for the former and Mrs. S. A.
Charles for the latter. They compiled a bill with legal advice of
Senator Bronston, who had been largely instrumental in securing the
section. The unremitting labor of three years was at last crowned with
success in 1896, when a bill, essentially that prepared by the women,
passed the General Assembly and was signed by Gov. William O. Bradley,
March 21.[286] This bill provides for two separate institutions, one
for girls and one for boys, on the cottage family plan. The general
government is vested in a board of six trustees, three women and three
men.

From