The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-03
LEE CoNsoIENCR FUNp.
It GIVES It's Origin to Mules Supplied
to the Union Army.

to the Union Army.
From the Nete York Press
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18-Every now and
then an item appears in the statements Of
the treasury department showing that al
addition hes been made to the conscience
fund In many Instances the struggle be-
tween the man and mis- conscience has been
going on for years, but at last conscience is
victorious. aud then there is a remittance
to the treasury department. He may be q
deacon in the church, but the time comes
when his ''amens" stick in his throat And
the only way to disludge them is to disgorge
the money dus Uncle sam.
And what IS the conscience fund.-"
OF the many results Of the civil war, per-
haps the most curious 10 the origin and de-
veiopment If the fund. Before 1850 moth
ing had been heard Of such a thing. But
when the clash Of arms between the north
and the south began the general govern
ment needed supplies of every description.
and these were furnished as promptly as
possible. OF course All INSCRIPTIONS person
could take advantage Of the then existing
state of things and charge exorbitant
prices for his supplies or else furnish an in
ferior article. In either case the result
would be ne same-he would be the gamer
and tn government the loser For in
stance, among the earlier remIttances TO the
treasury apartment was a sum Of money
from man whose conscience troubled him
about some mules he had supplied to the
army. There were no particulars in fact,
the senders of the conscience money 81
never bother themselves about details for
reasons that are quite apparent
For while the treasury department per-
mitted the conscience reTnittances to 20 into
the general receipts Of the government, but
soon the number of remittances OF this kind
increased 80 fast that il was found desirable
TO open a separate account for conscience
items" The receipts from this source of in.
come to the government amount now 70
about $500, OO0 so that the man who fooled
the government on a mule, and subse-
quently repented, really did a good thing
IN showing to other troubled souls in a like
predicament how to re ieve their con
sciences in a practical way without their
nelghbors being any the wiser.
Mr.. Whepley, assistant United States
treasurer, who has held Office for twenty
years, says: The reInittances usually come
from persons who have imported goods into
this country, and have defrauded the gov.
ernment imagine. AS general Droposi-
ton, there are not many ways in which to
detrRud the government but the testimony
OF the revenue officers would seem 20 indi-
cate that the lines for human weakness run
IN TINS ulrectlOu very strongly. OF course,
we have no definite means Of knowing the
actual facts, and can only surnise as TO the
real reason for the remittance. The letters
that reach us are carefully written so that
the reader on FIRST blush might imagine the
writers TO be the most illlterate and la-
norant people imaginable. Words are in.
tentionally misspelled, sentences twisted
ana the communication would ordinarily
go into the waste basket, were it not for the
money inclosed. This comes in all shapes
by draft, postal note. but mostly in actua
currency. No name is signed, and, will
the exception Of the money, we are no wiser
than we we're before. But the money indi
Gates that conscience has been at work.