The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-03-11
Curiesities OF the Conscience Fund.

At irregular intervals paragraph
appears announcing the receipt by the
Treasury Department of contribution
to the conscience fund.- These con-
tributions nowadays vary from one
dollar to between one and two hun
dred. A few years ago they were much
larger, The money comes from all
parts of the country, Philadelphia and
New York leading in the number of
contributions. A member Of Congress
from New York, when Mr.. Bristow was
in the Treasury, referring to this fact,
remarked that it showed conclusively
that New York and Pennsylvania were
the most religious States in the Union.
Mr.. Bristow replied that in his opinion
it only showed that those two States
had done the most stealing. The money
which comes in from conscience-strick-
en- people is on account of frauds on the
customs, frauds under the old Income
Tax law, or on the revenue. The in
come tax having been abolished some
years ago, contributions on its account
are very few now. g rsf.-,.-i ..t
The first record of money received by
the Government from repentance de-
frauders was in 1868. When General
Spinner was Treasurer he kept the &C
count separately, but the practice was
discontinued. The money now. as it
has been for the greater number of
years since 1858, when the contribu-
tions began, is turned into the Treasury
as miscellaneous receipts. Repeated
attempts have been made by members
OF Congress- to secure appropriatiops TO
be paid out Of tie conscien6e fund II
the money goes into tho Treasury as
miscellaneous receipts, It ceases 20 Be- .
upon. It is not known how much the
The total amount from Docamber7 1,
1863, to June so, 1874, asRiven il he
Treasurer's report, foc,. the latter var
was SI6a, 9l4. Since thon, no aooeunt
Of the contributions has been kopt.
Treasurer Gilfllan. however, estimates
that the money now toots up $50. 600.
The contributions, as a rule, come
through the mill with . note saying
for what purpose the money is forward
ed. Very frequently Penitential ex-
explanations are very serious and some
very laughable. The ladies contribute
q good deal. They repent principally
oNcI AoASo E0tuIuS m6ue uuOoI Inc III
come tax and for having evaded the
duties upon articles of dress.
A lady visited this country in 1864
from England. She smuggled in while
here q silk dress pattern. A short time
ago she wrote confessing the, evasion
of customs duties and sending $15 to
clear her conscience. She gave the
value of the dress and wanted the bal.
ance sent back to her If the duties did
not amount to el5.a The customs divis-
ion of the Treasury made q computa-
tion based upon the duties charged in
1864, and found that the lady owed ex-
actly $3.50. The balance was RENTED.
Ministers of the Gospel are very fire.
quently the medium through which the
money is refunded. While admins
tering spiritual consolation, the con-
fession Of defrauding the Government
is made, and q restitution follows. The
clergy transmit the money without
mentioning names. The largest amount
ever received as one contribution was
$15. 900 in United States 7-S0 notes.
This contribution was announced in
the newspapers. Many and ingenious
attempts were made to get this money
out Of the Treasury. One man said
that his father made the contribution,
and that he was crazy. The contribu-
tor of it had carefully cut out the num-
bers of the notes so as to make it i'm
possible to discover from the books who
had sent tthem.-Washingto Star.