The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-02-27
A TROUBLED CONSCIENCE.
1t Leads Many Wrongdoers to
Make Restitution.
Stray Leaves from Uncle Sans Confess
sionaI-A Strange Letter Received by
President d-COntributions
to the Conscience Fund.

II different persons who confessed that
they had come by it dishonesty at the
expense of the government. This sum
was dropped into the treasury as the
conscience fund" The public occa-
sionally notices Acknowledgements for
conscience contributions published by
the government in the newspapers. AL
though few have heard definite in
formation concerning it, Uncle Sam
conducts a sort of confessional agency
CT his own. He encourages wrong
doors to repent and ease their con-
sciences by returning money for value
dishonesty taken from him in the past
He guarantees that there shall be mo
questions asked" and no effort made
TO prosecute a penitent person brave
enough to purge his soul in this way.
Thecorrespondence which this system
brings to the secretary of the treasury
and to other government officials
often to the president himself-is ex-
tremely interesting. The writer has
been given the unusual privilege of
examining the official files in which
these odd communications are pre-
served.
A letter recently received by the pres
ident is from child, evidently but Is
years of age. 1t reads:
DEAR PRESIDENT: 1 am in a dreadful
state of mind, and thought I would write
and tell you all About two years ago as
near as can remember it was two years
1 used two postage stamps that had been
used before on letters, perhaps more than
two stamps, but / can only remember of
doing it twice. 1 did not realize what
had done until lately. My mind is con-
stantly turning that subject, and
think of 1t night and day. Now, dear pres
ident, will you please forgive me and 1
promise you I will never do it again. In
closed find cost of three stamps, and please
forgive me, for I was then but 10 years
old; for 1 am heartily sorry for what
have done.
FROM ONE OF Your SUBJECTS.
This pathetic appeal for forgiveness
was not dated, nor did the writer sign
his or her name. The penmanship is
characteristic of a child, probably a
girl, but the spelling is good the whole
indicating youth rather than ignor-
ance.
A letter dated Washington is from a
clergyman who signs his name and in
closes four dollars and fraction. He
explains that it was owed to the gov
ment as duty, and interest since ac-
cruing, on several cheap watches SNUG
gled into this country number of
years ago by man who has since con-
fessed to him. THE man who pays
this money" the writer goes on to say,
''was converted a few weeks ago in the
- meetings held in this city regular
ly. This act attests the genuineness of
the work of regeneration by the Holy
Spirit"
A person evidently at one time con-
nected with the navy wrote to Secretary
Carlisle from New York several weeks
ago. His communication was printed
in square letters upon a sheet of fools
cap from the top of which the manufac-
turer's stamp had been carefully torn
Enclosed was five dollars which the
sender explained was "for conscience
fund, navy 1889" 81 forwarded to YOU"
he continues, " October 4, ten dollars
Tor the same purposes and on the 18th
of October, 1895, l mailed ten dollars
more to the treasurer of the United
States, Washington, d. c., because you
did not comply with my request to ac-
knowledge receipt of the same through
the New York newspapers, neither did
the treasurer. You will confer great
favor on me-a conscience-stricken man
If you will kindly inform the Herald
and other New York papers and request
publication of receipt and proper dis
position of the total amount-twenty-
five dollars ($2)."
All conscience money is acknowl-
edged through the newspapers of the
city or town post-marked upon the en-
velope in which it is received. Very
often, however, the senders of the
money fail to notice these acknowledge
ments which simply state that the
treasury department has received a GER
tain amount from a person living in
that locality. The name is never pub
lished, even though signed by the send
er of the money.
Another penitent spirit who squares
up his old scores on the installment
plan, writes from New York city, al
though the postmark is all that gives
evidence of his whereabouts. The en-
velope is addressed to Secretary Carlisle
in an intelligent mans cramped back
hand, with no apparent attempt to dis
guise. Inside $40 was inclosed in a
smaller envelope, upon which was writ
ten: THE treasurer of the United
States. The inclosed belongs to The
United States" A similar indefinite
communication inclosing $50 was re-
ceived from the same person a few
weeks later.
Several weeks ago another contri-
button was received by President Cleve-
land. In this was five-dollar note
upon which was pinned a small scrap of
paper with the following scratched
upon it in pencil:
DEAR SIR: This belongs to the United
States Government. IGNoTUs"
The largest conscience contribution
received during the past year was a
note for $465 drawn by a bank of Mon
treal upon a bank of New York. 1t
was addressed to the secretary of the