Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-19

II He Don't Take the Money Il Will Go Into
the Conscience Fund.


II He Don't Take the Money II VIII Go Into
the Conscience Fund.
There is one thing connected with Mr.. Hills
refusal to accept pay as Senator for the time
during which he retained the gOvernorship
which the Senator may not like. That is that
the money when covered into the treasury will
have to be credited to the conscience fund.
which, as the name signifies, is money which
having been received by fraud or in some other
way improperly has been returned to the gov
eminent to relieve the pricking conscience Of
the receiver. The fact that Mr.. Hill did not
receive the money at all does not take it out Of
this category, and there is no way of covering
it into the treasury except to the credit Of con-
science. Mr.. Hill is not the only Congressman
who has refused to take money. but most of
those who have done SO have repented of their
action and accepted it. When Congress passed
an appropriation bill to reimburse members of
the House who had lost their salaries through
the defalcation of the absconding teller, MIR.
Silcott. large number of the members who
had voted against the bill declared with vIrtu-
Gus indignation that the House had no right to
thus reimburse its members for their own neg
hgence and thst they would not accept one
penny of the amounts alleged to be due them.
They were confronted. however, with the an
nouncement that if they did not accept the
money it would have to go into the conscience
fund. a thing which seemed extremely dis
agreeable to them. That was sufficient to in
duce some of the reluctant ones to pocket their
scruples and their money. good many, how
ever, held persistently and refused TO present
their draft but today of all that number there
is but one member who has lived up to his
declaration. Some of them took part of the
money. which they argued that they could
properly claim, and refused the rest, but Mr..
McIsea of Arkansas is the only man who has
absolutely refused to take penny OF the money
and persisted in his refusal
A large majority of tie lower House are very
prompt in drawing their pay as soon as II is
due. Others. to avoid an appearance of I'M
dignified haste, wait for three or four days or
a week before presenting their drafts, but there
are about ten men in the House who have to be
almost compelled to take their money. A south
ern member. who was sick when the House
opened and has been absent most OF the ses-
sion. had not drawn penny of his salary from
the 4th of last March until two OF three days
ago. and then ii with difficulty that he
induced to accept it There were nine others
besides himself who had not drawn their pay
during this period. and the sergeant
had to GO to them and insist upon their taking
the money IN order to avoid complications in
bookkeeping. They were told that ii they did
not take the money it would be covered back
into the treasury and they would never get 1t
at all except through the Court Of Claims or by
special legislation.
The sergeant-at-arms always has a large
amount OF money on hand belonging to MEM
beers which has been receipted for by the men,
beers and for which the bondsmen Of the ser
geant-at-arms are not responsible. When the
sergeant-at-arms of the last House settled his
accounts he turned into the treasury $40 900
more than the department had charged against
him. This money belonged to individual mem
bers who had the vouchers for it, but had never
drawn it from the Office, and il was only by ac-
cident that it failed to be covered into the