n a
beautiful locality. At the dedication of this institution, Lucretia
Mott was elected to honorary membership and invited to the
platform. With her own hands she planted the first tree, which now
adorns those spacious grounds.

The persecutions that women encountered in every onward step soon
taught them the necessity of remodeling the laws and customs for
themselves. They began to see the fallacy of the old ideas, that
men looked after the interests of women, "that they were their
natural protectors," that they could safely trust them to legislate
on their personal and property rights; for they found in almost
every case that whatever right and privilege man claimed for
himself, he proposed exactly the opposite for women. Hence the
necessity for them to have a voice as to the laws and the rulers
under which they lived. Whatever reform they attempted they soon
found their labors valueless, because they had no power to remedy
any evils protected by law. After laboring in temperance,
prison-reform, coeducation, and women's rights in the trades and
professions, their hopes all alike centered at last in the suffrage
movement.

In 1866, a suffrage association was formed in Philadelphia at a
meeting of the American Equal Rights Society,[264] held in Franklin
Institute. This convention was marked by a heated debate on the
duty of the abolitionists now that the black man was emancipated,
to make the demand for the enfranchisement of women, as well as the
freedmen.

We are indebted to John K. Wildman of Philadelphia for the
following:

The Pennsylvania association was organized December 22, 1869, in
Mercantile Library Hall, Philadelphia. The meeting was called to
order by John K. Wildman, who said: "The time has arrived when it
is necessary for us to take some action towards promoting the
cause of woman suffrage. We desire to do our part as far as
practicable, in the work of enlightening the people of our State
upon this important subject. With this end in view we propose to
organize, hoping that all friends of the movement will cordially
give us their influence." Edward M. Davis then proposed the
appointment of Judge William S. Pierce as chairman of the
meeting. This was agreed to, and Judge Pierce announced that the
meeting was ready for business, reserving for another stage of
the proceedings any remarks he might wish to make. Annie Heacock
was ch