Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01

money was received by Secretary Carlisle
from conscience-stricken persons, who
every week or so, endeavor to cancel their
dishonest debts by making deposits in the
treasury. 1t has been collected from small
contributions, the largest of which was
$40. and has been dropped into our ma
TONS bank TO mingle with the myriads of
honest coins there Astounding.
The last contribution to the conscience
fund was received last week from an old
soldier, who requested that thirty dollars
ESQ, 10 be placed TO the credit of the con-
science fund from the awakened conscience
of an old veteran, who has been laying aside
little at a time for some time and who has
not been able yet to figure just what it is,
but hopes TO light the data yet and re-
store II before he is called to meet his
God"
This penitent spirit writes on broad
sheet of foolscap, in a neat business hand
but mas taken care not to give his signature
or the Place from which the letter was
sent, although the inevitable postmark ell
abled acknowledgment to be made through
the press. But this Is only one of the many
scores of letters of this style received by
the Secretary during the past few months.
Ihey come in at irregular intervals from
all sorts and conditions OF men and women.
Two small contributions were recently re-
CelVed, a few weeks apart, each one inclosed
in d half sheet of note paper, bearing no
Indication Of who they were from or why
they were sent, except the two words ''Kon-
science Fund roughly printed across the
rage by some one who posed as an igno-
ramus and made a bold attempt TO disguise
his hand. Each communication WAS ad-
dressed in the same chi-ography and bore
the post-nark washington, d. c." They
were evidently from one of Uncle Sans
clerks, who is squaring up his old scores on
As he lx-
reading these specimens. smugglers appear
TO be the most repentant of all government
oeiaulters. The records show that this has
always been the case, probably because their
dishonest transactions are the easiest made
and likewise the easiest remunerated. Ac-
cording to this state of affairs, as one of
the treasury officials said, the conscience
fund will suffer materially when rates of
duty and temptation are equally decreased
A few weeks ago a woman calmly walked
up to the desk of Mr.. True cashier of the
treasury, and handed him a few dollars
and some odd cents, which she said was
conscience money, but refused to give any
account OF how she obtained It, who she
was or where she lived. This was a very
exceptional case. She is the only soul who.
IN the memory of those connected with the
fund, has been so brave as TO make amends
in person. No effort has ever been made
by the department to trace up any of these
cases, not only since IL would undoubtedly
discourage all further contributions, but be-
cause the advantage Of any doubt which
might arise regarding the original violation
OF the law is always given a person who is
honest enough to confess or offer amends
In any event, there would be no good
grounds for an indictment or a suit.
Some Large Payments.
Almost without exception the depreda-
tons confessed in the conscience CORE
spondence have been those which would not
be punishable by any severe Imprisonment
or other penalty. Counterfeiters have never
been known tc figure in the transactions
although they are the most frequent enc
mics of the nations credit. majority of
the letters accompanying conscience money
is written by clergymen, especially Catholic
priests. They are generally in a modest
business form, stating that a member of
the flock has recently confessed the unjust
poss ession of government property and, not
wishing TO betray the confidence of the sin
ner, that they inclose the amount given
them without mentioning names or circam-
stances. These letters are acknowledged
only by direct letter from the department
since any public mention Of the minister's
name would put an end to all further trans
actions of a similar sort.
The largest contribution ever made to the
fund was received some years ago from a
man who mailed an eight-thousand-dolla
note to the Secretary in two sections. The
money was carefully cut in half, which, of
course did not detract from its value. After
the first piece had been received and ac-
knowledged through the papers the second
half was likewise forthcoming in the course
of few months. The sender was too
shrewd to have the Enclosures registered
and employed this novel means of depriv-
ing any person who might become the DOS
SCISSOR of his note of its value until he was
assured that ii had reached its proper des-
tina ton. Another fellow, who had stolen
over $1,000 from the government continued
to pay installments for several years until
he gave over about double the amount Of the
original theft, claiming that the total about
covered the principal and interest accruing.
But 1t appears that thieves and evil-doers
have not been the only persons whose bet
ter natures have prompted them to deposit
money to the credit of the United States.
when they have not been satisfied that il
is in their rightful possession. Governor
Flower of New York some months ago sent
to the treasury a check equal 10 his salary
for month. during which he was away
from his official duties while a member of
the House. Senator Proctor. also, about
the time of his change from the cabinet to
the upper house, forfeited one month and
three days of his salary for a similar rea-
son. These are the only items of this ma
ture which have appeared on the books for
many years. They were not credited to the
conscience fund.-" but had special corners
Of their own among the other miscellaneous
receipts. Although the money received
from conscientious confessors is accounted
for in special list, 1t likewise is included
under miscellaneous receipts" and may
pose that Congress may deem proper The
account was opened in 1911, when the first
restitution was made. Since that year. &C.
cording to the books, s270. 200 In round num-
bers has altogether been received, which
would pay years salary to fffty-four
members Of Congress.
The Little Items.
Some Of the items which are recorded I'm
der the heading Miscellaneous Receipts
are more than amusing. from the fact that
they appear infinitesimally small alongside
the giant amounts received from customs
end internal revenue. The small receipts
are sent in in such irregular sums that no
estimate of their total can possibly be made
Until they are actually counted For in
stance, In this years book Just under a
memorandum of several millions of dollars
appears the separate account: Soldiers
hand book lost, As cents" This means that
some unfortunate trooper has had to pay
the given sum for new copy of tactics.
Then again appears: Representative value
Of one misplaced sheet of tobacco stamps,
81" This came out of the pocket of some
internal revenue employe. An extensive
piece OF property acquired under the in
ternal revenue law is valued at 81, which
sum also appears after the item, Payment
for supposed vacant land etc" Assess
nj CHI In Co.