(seq. 5)

[2]

useful to their members, or
others, unless only by
securing the attendance of
of persons who could speak
to the edification of the People.

Those of their own number
who possessed ability to prepare
essays, found they had not
the command of the leisure
hours necessary for their prepa-
ration. And to secure the
attendance of speakers & Lecturers
from abroad, required money
& money they possessed not.

Thus as I passed from town
to town was I made to feel
the great evil of woman's entire
dependency upon man, for the
necessary means to aid on any
& every reform movement. though
I had long admitted the wrong,
& never, until this time, so fully
took in the grand idea of
pecuniary & personal independence.

It matters not how overflowing
with benevolence toward suffering
humanity may be the heart of woman it avails nothing so
long as she possesses not the power
to act in accordance with those
prompting. Woman must

[3]
[1853]

have a purse of her own, &
how can this be, so long
as the Wife is denied the right
to her individual & joint
earnings. Reflections like
these, caused me to see &
really feel that there was no
true freedom for woman
without the possession of all
her property rights, & that these
rights could be obtained through
legislation only, & if so, the
sooner the demand was
made of the legislature, the
sooner would we be likely to obtain
them - This demand must be
made by Petitions to the Legis-
lature & that, too at its
very next session - How
could the work be started.
Why, by first holding a
Convention & adopting
some plan of united
action.

On my return to Rochester
on the A.M. of Nov. 8th I dined
at Mr. R. Hallowell's & then went
directly to Mr. Channing, told of
the work I had planned, he an-
swered Capital, Capital, & forth