Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-04

who, inclosing a check for $1,000, said
that that represented a little misappro-
priation of government funds Of which
he had been guilty when acting as q
quartermaster in the army. Then came
the happy idea into Spinner's handsome
head. ''We'll call that a contribution to
the conscience fund.-" be said. land have
it announced in the newspapers, and per-
haps viii get some more" The annOun-
cement was duly made all over the couu-
try and sure enough the department did
get "sOme more" For ten years cOntri-
buttons were quite numerous, but latterly
they have become less frequent.
IL is question whether all
the dishonest ones have settled
or whether the conscience of the
country is growing more callOus. These
contributions have never been very
large IN amount, probably because
with scruples. The largest ever received
was $4,000 forwarded by a former inter
nal revenue guager in Chicago as the
amount OF bride he took from distillers
and the smallest was nine cents from a
Massachusetts Mugwump whose sensi-
tive conscience had been burdened for
years with the cancelled three-cent stamp.
which as small boy he had carefully
washed and used on a letter to his sweet
heart. He thought the nine cents would
| adequately cover the principal and inter-
est involved in the steal. Most Of the con-
tributiOns are made by women who have
eVaded the customs laws by smuggling
through some feminine luxury. Now and
| then the department gets a contribution
/ from some offender through clergyman
who received death bed confession. But
ordinarily they come directly from the
anonymous offenders themselves. Next
to the smugglers in point OF numbers come
the breakers of the internal revenue laws.
The total amount of the contributions to
the conscience fund is unknown. as it has
not been kept separate in the Treasury
Department; but it is estimated by Treas
ury officials that it would aggregate about
$350,000.
The Treasury Department was created
by the First Congress- during its session
in 1889, at Philadel hia. When the cap
ital was removed to Washington in 1890,
a small wooden building was erected for
the Treasury, but this was burned, along
with all the other public buildings, by the
British in 1914. AnCthe" building soon
after erected was DESTROYED by fire in
1888, whereupOn the present structure
was undertaken. 1t was first proposed to
locate the new building near where the
Interior Department and post office
buildings are, leaving the White House in
unobstructed view from the capitol. but
the story is that President jackson be-
came impatient at the delay in selecting
the site, aud, walking over the ground one
morning. planted his cane on the spot
where the northeastern corner of the
building now is, said: "Here, right here,
want the cornerstone laid" and there
1t was laid, breaking the continuity OF
Pennsylvania avenue and shutting out
the sight of Capitol hill from the windows
Of the Executive Mansion. The building
was completed in 1871. 1t was constructed
Of Virginia freestOne. Fourteen years
later it was found necessary to make ad-
ditions, and these extensions, which were
constructed OF Maine granite, were COM
pleted in 1869. Up TO this time the total cost
of the building was little less than S., 000-
900, but since then large sums have been
expended in alterations and interior dec
OrauOns. 1t is of the Grecian style of
architecture, with notifications, and
while not as handsome as some OF the
other government buildings, has a sub
stantiai appearance, as though it had
come to stay. Covering a whole square
Of ground, with three stories and deep
rustic basement full of vaults, it would
seem that this building should be large
enough for any possible business of the
department, but already it IS so crowded
that several bureaus are provided for
elsewhere, and If the financial interests of