The Van Buren press., 1896-03-14

McrEa AAbrks
Several weeks ago another c0atF1-
button was received by President eJeye-
land Ia this was a fIve-dOllar note
upon which WAS pinned 3 small scrap OF
paper with the following scratched
upOn It Ia pencils
''DaAR sra: This belongs to ths United
States Government. IGNoT9s
The largest conscience contribution
received during the past year was
note for S465 drawn by bank Of Mon
treaI upon a bank of New York. Ii
was addressed to the secretary Of the
treasury In an fHiterate hand and in
closed IN a piece of paper which bear'
note in pencil requesting that it bs
deposited in tine national fund. Ths
sender signs a name, but it Is believed
that it Is fictitious. In almost all cases
where acknowledgements are sent by
the department. to contributors giving
their names, the receipts fail to reach
anyone and are returned.
a yellow envelope posfmarked BOs'
ton, and addressed TO John @. Car
isle contains sheet Of ruled paper
upon which fs stated that the inclosed
six dollars "closes the account of an
overpaid soldier 1t is signed simply
"Union Soldier"
A conscienee-stricken snuggler sends
IN envelope postmarked Brooklyn
incIosfne six dollars folded in sheet
OF plain note paper, upon which is
written the single word Duties"
Smugglers are said to be the most nu-
merous Of all offenders who have vet
made amends through the conscience
fund.
4 feminine hand writes to the sec
fetafy of the treasury under New York
pOstmark.
Fifteen dollars to pay duty on piece Of
embroidery bought Of a poor lady In Cam
ada to help her along but contrary to my
wish brought across the line by her broth
er. without paying any duty. The United
States consul informed him at the time
that there was duty Of 60 per cent. on that
class Of work"
A similar case is that OF person.
evidently a man, writing from Hart
ford. Conn. He addresseg himself to
Secretary Carlisle and SAYS:
DEAR SIR: Though dlsapprove as heart
fly as you do Of the recent tariff laws, [
think IT the duty OF every honest man to
declare fully the duty of articles subject to
the same, as he can only avoid doing so By
perjuring himself / did SO when I re-
turned from Europe, with the exception Of
few tFifies, which, II examined, would
I have involved putting about the contents
r.F fr4
| but with the intention OF sending the full
duty thereon to you"
Continuing, the writer expresses the
hope that the secretary will have the
present laws altered, and winds up hy
saying:
Il hope this less on account OF the eco-
| nomic ignorance which they display. than
/ because Of the terrible demorallzations
/ which they have powerfully aided to bring
j about. Very respectfully, A. B. c"
This sample OF eloquence accompan-
led $40 in greeBbacks, the duty owed
on the "few trifes."
An envelope postmarked Pleasant
Lake, y. D., registered and bearing Il
name. evidently intended for that Of
the sender, upon the outside, crosswise
along the edge. is apparently from an
/ old person. He incloses ten dollars, as
suring the secretary that there is d
little more due in the near future" and
concludes; "All of us become honest as
we near the great hereafter. | need
/ only sign my name as Conscience
A letter postmar<ed Poneroy, o.,
and inclosing s3s, betrays desperate
effort to appear illiterate on the part
Of the writer. The note simply states:
money | owe to the public" Another
who poses as an ignoramus addresses
his envelope, postmarked Washington,
in an exceedingly artistic hand and in
closes two dollars wrapped in a slip OF
paper, upon which is scrawled: 1.-Two
the conshius fund.- This spelling and
chirography is looked upon as an in.
tentional disguise. Similar attempts
have been made before. Several en-
velopes have been received inclosing
| small sums Of money accompanied by
slips of paper is half written, half print.
ed "Konscienee fund" The curves in
the script letters are gracefully made
/
! thought improbable that these mis-
| spelt communications are from the
| same person-maybe penitent depart
/ ment employe who has been dishonest
| few weeks ago the superintendent
| of the mint in Philadelphia received
an anonymous letter inclosing five dol
! lars, which the sender requested to I've
put in the mint appropriation. Thi.
! was sent TO Secretary Carlisle to be add.
ed to the conscience fund.
A letter received by the secretary
| some months further back reads:
SIR: Please find my thirty dollars $500 tc
be placed to the credit of the conscience
! fund.- from the awakened conscience of al
old veteran who has been laying aside a
little at a time for some time, and who has
not been able yet to figure just what It is
but who hopes 70 light on the data yet and
| restore it before he is called to meet his
| God"
This appears upon a broad sheet ol
foolscap, in an even business hand
Ten dollars WAS also found with a
letter in a woman's handwriting which
states: "A number of years ago |
omitted or failed to pay tax on an
article possessed by my family. | do
not remember exactly how much il
was, but think ten dollars will cover it,
! And here inclose ten dollars to you ~
! payment to the United States govern
ment for said tax, etc. Yours, Name
Not Necessary" an
The largest afnOunt of conscience
money ever received from one person
was $1,000, sent by mail some years ago