The National tribune., 1886-02-11


CONSCIENCE MONEY" IN THE TREASURY.
Within the past few days two remittances of
conscience money one of $32 and one of
$250-have been received at the Treasury. The
writer was moved to make inquiry OF the Chlei
Clerk of the Division of Public Moneys on the
subject. 1t was learned that the receipts under
this head are not kept in separate fund. Ihey
are simply turned into the general fund OF the
Treasury, the same as money received from
other sources of revenue. A careful account IS
kept, however, and the amount so received
each year is stated in the annual report. III
fuctuates q good deal. One year it may be
$500 and the next 5000. Not one in 30 OF
these remittances ever affords the slightest clew
to the identity of the conscienCe-stricken per-
son who sent it. Often the money is merely
inclosed in an envelope, or perhaps wrapped
in piece of blank paper, without the scratch
Of pen accompanying it. Now and then there
is brief explanatory note. telling why the
money IS due the Government but there IS
rarely, If ever, a signature. Some say simply
This money belongs TO the Government" or
words to that effect. All that Is received IN
this way, whether any writing is with it or
not is considered " conscience money" and
treated accordingly. 1t is, of course, impossI-
bic to give receipts for the money. Occasionally
there are few words incloSed asking that ac-
acknowledgement be made through the news
papers For this reason care is always taken to
patches. The sender is very likely to be look
ing out for such an item. When he sees it he
knows that the money has reached the Treas
ury, and his conscience is relieved of its bur-
den.
81 have never known a case" said the Chief
Clerk, " that had anybodys name connected
with 1t except few similar TO one we had three
or four months ago. \ Catholic priest in Boston
wrote that member of his church. on MS DEATH
bed, confessed to him that he had wronged the
Government out of $50. He could not die with
that on his mind and he desired to make resti-
tuition, only asking that his name DC withheld.
He accordingly Enclosed the amount with in
tereSt ct per cent. for nine years-SS5 in all.
The man didn't want that thing TO bother him
hereafter and prolong his stay in pUrsatory.
. The priest signed his own name, as he might
properly do, and we Acknowledged by letter to
him the receipt of the money. We have had sew
cral instances Of that kind, i'll whicn the quick
ening Of the conscience seemed to be stimulated
by severe illness or the confessional.
When explanations are made at all, the
reasonS most cOmmonly given are that the money
is due for taxes or customs duties cvaded, or for
petty frauds TO avoid the payment of postage.
/ remember one case of a lady who, after spend
ing some time abroad, returned to this country,
bringing with her a valuable article of wearing
apparel. think it was for her own use and
not strictly dutabe, but her conscience troubled
her about it. She went back TO England, and
while there unburdened her mind to one Of our
ConSuls and asked him to write and ascertain
the amount of the duty. He did So and she
immediately RENTED the amount to us. She
wrote nice little note, full of contrition, and
expressing the hope that Uncle Sam would for
give her, but she hadn't the courage to sign her
name to it.
THE largest amount / remember TO have re-
ceived in a single Enclosure was $4,000. For
this large sum there was absolutely nothing to
show what it was for or whence it came except
the p0stmark on the envelope. Even this may
have been purposely misleading, as the person
may have sent it away somewhere to be mailed.
The envelope contained simply four 81 900 bills.
He did not remit bya draft, rs this would have
given tracer should anybody be disposed
to follow it up. Upon the paper around the
money was simply written, Place this to the
credit Of conscience
The smallest remittance l recall was 10
cents. That was funny case really ridiculous,
but ii is true. The money was incloSed in
quite long letter, unsigned. The writer said
that 20 years before, when boy, he received
letter, the Scent stamp Oh which had escaped
cancellation. More III a spirit of mischief than
anything else he detached the stamp and used
it on his answer TO the letter, thus making it
do double duty. 1t had always worried him,
for he knew. as boy, that it was fraud on
the Government, and he wanted TO ease his
conscience, though the amount was so triling.
tie supposed the interest would bring the
amount up 10 or S cents, but to make sure of
disebarsing the full debt he would send 10
cents"
The latest contribution to the conscience
fund WAS one day last week when the Secretary
of the Treasury received in his regular mail
letter postmarked New York, containing $500
in United States notes of large denominations,
all of which were cut in two with small pieces
removed from the inside edges. The word
Cancelled" was written in ink across the face
OF the notes. The envelope also contained
note, which read as follows:
Here are 50 800 Unitcd States bills mutiated so as
to insure the Governments getting the money.
Whatsoever man SONS that shall he also reap. L
have sowed the wind. and am reapin, the whirl-
wind. This is next to the fiuai payment due. God
grant me speedy release. CONSCIENCE.
In reply to the Senate resolution Of inquiry
the Secretary of the Treasury last week sent to
that body statement that the conscience
money" paid into the Treasury since 1927,
when the first remittance was received, amounts
to 500, 1926
a CoNGREssMAN's CORRESPONDENCE.
Said Minnesota Congressman the other day:
" You would often be amused if you could look
over the letters we get from our constituents.
Many PERSONS seem to have the idea that the
Government is run for the sole purpose of sup
plying them with everything they want; that
all they have TO do is to write to their Member
OF congress ana ne can just reach OUT ana get
it, whatever it is. Some Of them make requests
that it is simply impossible for Us to comply
with but they cannot understand that. They
will always think they don't get everything
they ask for because we don't caro- enough for
them 10 attend lit. Now, there's an Old farmer,
a friend OF mine living away up III the north
ern part OF Minnesota He wanted to make a
visit to Washington this Winter, and don't you
think he wrote and asked me to send him
pass for himself. his wife. and four children to
Washington and back | suppose he really be-
leved / could get it for him. Another man
wanted lot of seeds to start a nursery and
greenhouse. He sent me list covering six
pages OF fooiscap OF the kinds and quantities he
wanted. To have filed his order would have
required a large part of my quota of seeds for
year, besides 80 or 60 sorts that / didn't have
at all. There was another man who had some
sort of a scheme for treating sick horses. He
thought the Government ought to help him,
and asked me TO get 500 right away and send
him, as he wanted to start hospital. i wrote
him that ii would be impossible to get it from
the Government, and supposed that would be
the last Of it. In few days he came back at
me, saying that lie could raise $50 of the
amount and if | could get the other $50 he
could make go Of it, i had 10 write that man
four letters before | could make him under
stand that the Government would not take hold
OF such matter"
An Indiana Congressman received a letter
from one Of his constituents asking him to get
and ship 10 him pair Of condemned Govern
Il. ., L. L..