The Portland daily press., 1867-09-05
TI,e s.a,e I.iano...l Z !. I, ]. 81

There appears in the last number of the
Maine Standard letter from Pennington.
embodying report which the writer says has
been received by Mr.. d. w. Pratt, LIQUOR
Agent at Pennington, from Cdr Hayes, the
State Assayer of Massachusetts" The report
assigned by IS. Dana Hayes" who is not the
State Assayer, but his son, and says he has re-
ceived from Mr. Pratt six samples of liquors,
three of which he prorountes impure, two "un-
matured," and consequently unfit for medicil
nal use, and one pure and Suitable for State
Agency sale. The letter writer says that the
quality Of the liquors furnished at the town
agency has occasioned much complaint on the
part of physicians and others. Mr.. Pratt. on
receipt OF Prof. Hayes's report, sent copy to-
Mr.. Shaw, the State Commissioner from whom
che liquors had been obtained. iVl'44iofI 81 t9f
Mr.. Pratt, we understand, is a Democrat. and
so also is Mr.. Butler Of the Board of selectmen
who was priyy to this transaction. The other
members Of the Board arc Republicans and
were not Informed of the proceeding. The pur-
pose of the agent in concealing his movements
from the majority of the Board to which he
owes his appointment, from the men who are
authorised by law to make all purchases of IL
quors for him, is evident. Mr. Pratt had a fool
lsh notion that party capital might be made
out OF this absurd move. Of the means wi ich
he adopted to render it successful we shah
speak presently, but we wish first to saw that
the circulars of the State Commissioner and
his bills all state that liquors sold at his agency
are invariably analysed and certified to be pure
Dy the State Assayer, and particularly request
that II they are not found to be satisfactory.
immediate information should he given to him
With this request Mr.. Pratt, for reasons of his
own, did notsee fit to comply. There were rea
sans why be preferred dishonorable and fur
tve,to an honorable and straightforward eourse.
1t has been ascertained, since the publication
OF Prof Hayes's report, that the SAMPLES sent
to him were not chemically or fully analyzed
and That ne so aorote to Frat, telling him that
II ne wanted a correct analysis he must send
much larger quantity and pay more liberally.
Pratt suppressed this portion of the Profassor's
ietter ana used the rest, thus adding touch ef
dishonesty to his pretty exploit The report
"nich ne published is based ON simple deter
mination of the proof of the samples and iudu-
ment OF their quality from their taste and gen.
'erai appearance. Furthermore, SAMPLES of
the liquors at the Pennington Agency have
been compared with the same LIQUORS in the
State Agency, and with the pretended SAMPLES
sent to Prof. Hayes. and it appears, first, that
the Pennington liquors haze been ,oatered. re.
cucing their proof in some instances bv a con-
siderable percentage; and second, that the pre
tended samples sent to Boston were either doc
tored for the occasion, or put up in foul bottles
SO that it is difficult to tell what liquor thew
now resemble. A sample marked 9No. l. Bran
dy tastes, it is said, so strongly of cologne,
tnat It no more resembles brandy than Pratt
according to this statement, resembles an
honest man. 9nuisf.7... '...4. $500
~ Of course this is not political question at
all. 1t is a personal question, affecting solely
ar. Shaws character--and Mr.. Pratt's. To the
public, it is interesting, as any discussion which
concerns the purity of articles of food or medi.
cine, is interesting. Mr.. Shaw saws that liouors
sold for the Pennington Agency were carefully
anaiyzed by DR.. Goodale, State Assayer for
MAINE; the certificates that they were pure
ana good are still on file at the State Apencv.
ana 1t can be proved that they were sent to the
armington Agency just as they were ana
lyzed. Ed .ta.f- a,-- .r