Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-03-27
Volume 81.


Tho conscience fund i'll the Federal
treasury il growing rapidly these days.
According To the Washington CORES
pondent for the New York World during
the week ending March 7th, $500 wns
contributed To that fund. Contribu-
hons To the conscience fund attract
considerable attention IN the treasury
department. The World correspondent
says that from fifty to- seventy.tive con
tributions are received every year from
persons who have dctraudcd the govern.
ment and want t. make rcparatiou. The
contributions range from "A two.cent
stamp to thousands ~ dollars, and they
come from children and gray haired
men and women. The government
guards the fund most carefully. No
prosecution is ever based on the remit
tame. from person with "A troubled
conscience and the names Of the sendcrs
are never made public. Ne, many Of
the letters sent with money are signed,
but there are often casrs where the
identity nf the sen J"rs could be easily
established, int there IN no effort to
'lh'c thth. III" government IL content
to get the money. Most OF the IL tiers
are signed Conscience" and the writing
liz often disguised. Each contribution
IL acknowledged by IL bulletin posted in
the sccrctary's office. giving the auouut
and the ulncc II came from.
That the largest additions tn the con.
science fund come from husineas men
who hnvc given undcrvnluatiou= in i'm.
porting goods aud y lao have cheated the
government out of duties and have
since experienced a change Of ncart il
au Interesting fact presented by the
World correspondent. II is explained
that many cOnirihut on4 are received
from women III payment Of duty On Hr
tirles smIgglrd into the country. The
small sumo are usally for stamps that
wcr" used twice, The following letter
wHs received from II Iiultiu,urc woman
"n February 10th: "Incloacd lind $40
American money which should have
been paid at the New York custom
hou5" This one came III few days
ago from woman in Santa Ana, Cal:
United States Conscience Fund. When
! wns very young girl once used Il
'wu cent stamp which had been can
ccllcd. did not realize the rim then,
and did not kno" Of the conscience fund
until year or two ago. am sorry !
did IT, but God ha= revealed my duty to
me, so | send the enclosed stampa,
eight cents \ New York man sent
four 800 bills tn the fund this week 10y
open mail. With the money WAS this
note; "InclIscd plcnsc lind SiO0 con-
HCiaucc monry." The lnrgrs, contribu.
ton ever received WAS Il draft for Sli.-
600 sent 10y minister IN England. lie
Enid the money was given Ia him to send
10y u man who was converted III his
church Tho most peculiar contribu.
ton came from u man who cut II pile 81
$1,000 III bills squnrcly IN halves. IIe
sent one nRlf, and said II tint were
acknowledged ne would forward tho
other He cvidcntally feared that the
mnnoy might not reach the proper Ru-
thOriiy. The receipt of the lirsi half Of
the bisccicd currency was acknowledged
and the other half was received few
days later. Tho following shows the to.
tai additions to- the c0nRcirncu fund in
recent yrars: 1902. S3l.SGS 30; 1901. 81.
.Gi30; 1900, s3,SiG32; 1899, ss,GGG.ll;
lo!S, Sj.llO.70; 1897. 22,Si2.22; 1896, slG.
40 "G; 1880. s2.Go307; 1921, s3,GG30l