law provides that not more than two bills for amending the State
constitution can be before the Legislature at one time, and, as two
preceded this one, Speaker Littleton, who was opposed to it, ruled it
out of order and would not permit it to be considered. The same
condition existed in the Senate but that body deemed its action
perfectly legal, as all which could be done was to submit the bill to
the next Legislature. Thus all the work of nearly two years was
lost.[251]

In 1899 a number of Factory Inspection Laws were passed, some of them
especially intended to protect women. While these serve their purpose
in one way they may defeat it in another, as those, for instance,
limiting the work of women to ten hours a day and prohibiting their
employment at night in any manufacturing concern, when no such
restrictions are imposed on men, which often is to their advantage
with employers. Seats for women employes, suitable toilet-rooms and a
full hour for the noonday meal are commendable features of these new
laws.

Through the efforts of Robert Dale Owen and a few other broad-minded
men, when the constitution of Indiana was revised in 1851 the laws for
women were made more liberal than those of most other States at that
period, although conservative compared to present standards. Unjust
discriminations have been abolished from time to time since then,
until now, in a very large degree, the laws bear equally upon husband
and wife. Some distinctions, however, still exist, as is shown by the
introduction of bills in almost every Legislature "to remove the
existing disabilities of married women."

Dower and curtesy are abolished. If a husband die, with or without a
will, one-third of his real estate descends to the widow in fee
simple, free from all demands of creditors; provided, however, that
where the real estate exceeds in value $10,000, the widow shall have
one-fourth only, and where it exceeds $20,000, one-fifth only as
against creditors. If a husband die without a will and leave a widow
and one child, the real estate is divided equally between them; the
personal estate is divided equally if there are not more than two
children; if there are more than two the widow still has one-third. If
a man has children living by a former marriage and none by a
subsequent marriage, the widow can have only a life interest in her
share of his estate. If a wife die, with or without a will, one-third
of her real and personal estate de