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Dr. Ranney spoke of the Legislature as being so strangely infatuated as to reject light from those who are qualified to impart it, and to receive it from others. He accused them also of passing bills relative to asylums which he had not even recommended!

But neither of them showed the least disposition to elicit any opinions of my own, upon this, or any other subject they discussed. Indeed, the only word he addressed to me during the entire interview was a most indifferent:

"How do you do?" as Mrs. Darwin introduced me in these words:

"This is Mrs. Packard, whom I found at the depot, and she came along with me."

In a few moments after Dr. Ranney retired, Mrs. Rannev came in and took Mrs. Darwin directly into another, room leaving me entirely alone. In about fifteen or twenty minutes Dr. Ranney returned, and standing directly in front of me demanded, with the look and tone of a tyrant:

"Mrs. Packard, do you wish to see me?"

"No sir, I did not come for that purpose, I came to see the patients, and I should like to accompany Mrs. Darwin in her visits to the patients in their wards, as I have a letter of introduction from the Governor to this committee."

In the most peremptory manner, and authoritative tone, he replied:

"You can not accompany Mrs. Darwin to the wards! I forbid it! She has an official right to do so; you have no right at all, except that of a common visitor, and I shall grant you only that right. If you wish, my assistant will accompany you to such wards as are open on Tuesday and Friday from two to four o'clock, to visitors generally. But as to going into any others -- I forbid it! "

I replied, "I will accept your offer to show me what you please."

The assistant soon came and took me into a female ward, where the first lady I saw ran up to me and grasped my hand with the utmost cordiality, and commenced talking, when I was informed by my guide:

"It is against the rules for a visitor to speak to a patient."

As I passed on many shook my hand and seemed evidently to desire to talk with their visitor.

I could, not but mentally inquire, why are the social rights society denied this class? Who has the righit to deny these afflicted ones the right of free speech? Are they criminals? Why then, should they be treated as such, in this particular? Can it be for the benefit of the patients that this right of free speech is annihilated in these wards?

In this silent manner I passed through the wards open to visitors, as I would through a menagerie, communicating no intelligence and receiving none. I saw nothing to criticise, but much to admire in the extreme neatness, quiet and order which everywhere prevailed.

I might have seen one hundred patients in all who looked comfortably and well cared for.

But how is it with the four hundred, whom visitors cannot see? Are they as comfortable as is consistent with their condition?

This we are not allowed to know.

We must trust this portion of humanity to the unlimited power of one, who could be the tyrant to one of his parlor guests, and the polished sycophant to another!

Will we trust a valuable horse to the absolute power of one man without ever seeing or knowing how the animal is treated?

No, our property is too sacred to be thus exposed.

Shall we then trust our mother, father, wife, child or husband where we would not our property?

No! Iowa Legislature says emphatically, No! in its recent lay "to protect the insane."

And one of the committee this law creates, was then in these wards visiting these inmates, accompanied by Dr. Ranney, in whose presence the inmates fear to complain, lest they receive their threatened punishment after she leaves!

Is this enforcing the law?

Nay, verily, it is merely making a wicked farce of it.

Let the people of Iowa watch this committee while they watch the internal machinery of their insane asylums. They are not sent to shield Doctor Ranney, but they are sent to shield his patients from his arbitrary power.

The people of Iowa are determined to look behind the curtain of their own institution; and if they cannot see these scenes through the eyes of their present committee, they will through some other agency.

The people of Iowa have a right to know how every inmate in this institution is treated.

And they have just the same right to place Doctor Ranney just where his own actions will place him that they have to apply this test to any of their other public servants. If he can stand upon this record of his own actions -- Let him stand! If he cannot -- Let him fall!

It Doctor Ranney is innocent, he will court investigation. If he is guilty, he will seek to avoid it.

E. P. W. PACKARD.
Mount Pleasant, July 10, 1872.

Additional Facts Respecting My Visit.

Since the above articles elicited no reply, I concluded Dr. Ranney was of the opinion expressed by Dr. McFarland under similar circumstances, viz.:

"The dignity of silence is the only safe course to pursue."