Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-05-07
CONSCIENCE FUND OF
TREASURY DEPARTMENT
Men Who Beat the Government Frequently
Cough Up" Years After as Result
OF Pr0dding at the Hands
OF Preachers.

"a guilty conscience needs no nc
cuser" is an ndasc that is not be-
lievcd by officials of the treasury de-
partment. They are of the opinion
that the guilty conscience does need
little prod,ling once in n while to cause
the owner to repent and make amends
As proof of this contention they point
with pride to the so-callcd conscience
fund.-" which within the last century
| has gathered in nearly 100000 for the
governments pocketbooli. But for the
fact that this mythical fund" has
been referred to from time tG time In
the newspapers, the officials believe,
scarcely Onc-tcnth of the huge sum
mentioned would have been sent to
the treasury. The frequent printing of
the mere words Conscience fund.-" is
an accusation to every person who at
some period in his life has defrauded
Uncle Sam. The consistent appear
ance of dispatches from Washington
giving accounts Of unknown persons I'm
various parts of the country sending
conscience contributions" to the sec
| Rotary Of the treasury is the most elo-
qucnt of invitations to other guilty
| ones To pay up and make your peace
with your conscience and your coun..
try"
The person who sends the amount OF
| his debt 10 the conscience fund"
learns that no effort will he made by
the authorities to discover his or her
identity or to exact punishment for.
the original crime. He feels that by
| thus making restitution he will not
only be forgiven for his former mis-
deeds. but will be able to look the
world In the face once more, sleep
better and get more enjoyment out of
life. He is right in cherishing these
beliefs. for the government officials
make no attempt to resurrect his past,
| and there is no doubt whatever that
his own conscience will reward him for
doing the square thing.
Miscellaneous Receipts"
If you ask n treasury official for the
office of the Conscience fund" he will
smile and say, eco to the public
moneys division" AT the public
moneys division you will he told there
is no such thing as the Conscience
fund.-" but that the money received
| from the owners OF troublesome con-
sciences is turned into the general
treasury under the. head of misccl-
laneOus receipts" For the sake of
accuracy, and also to help along the
wholesome ficlion, a record Is kept of
every cent thus received, and MS long
as the treasury department keeps a
set of books, entries will be made of
such contributions under the CON
science fund" caption President
Madison received in 1871 n sum of
/ NM, f,Dr 1,,I 1T,
who wished to make restitution OF
| fund started, and it has been In myth
ical existence ever since. No sum is
! too large or too small for entry IN the
record Just as much pains are taken
with the three stamps that some
schoolboy sends to make peace with
his inner self as with the fat roll OF
bank notes some, wealthy importer.
sends to silence the "still small voice"
! within his portly breast.
AS soon as money for the "con-
science fund" is received Mt the trens-
ury department Secretary Shaw or.
ders little item placed upon the bull
letin in his outer Office. The news
paper correspondents who go the
rounds of the various offices I'm the
Treasury building invariably make
note Of the case. and thus the news
of good example is sent broadcast
| to the world.
Secretary Shaw Got is Cents.
On February 26 last, Secretary
Shaw found in his mornings mail n
letter containing is cents. 1t read
as follows:
Enclosed You will find Is cents,
which, send to pay for two slate pen
ellis which believe took from an
Indian agency located at that time
at Cotton, Cal. This was done when
was n small hoy about 1G years old,
or something near It, 1t probably
was more than that. sent the money
to the Indian agency at San Jacinto.
CAL, but 1t was sent back to me. do
this because I believe II is Gods will.
| hope you will dispose OF. the amount
SO that 1t will go to the proper place."
a few days later the receipt of this
letter-or, to be accurate, on March
la somewhat larger contribution to
the Conscience fund" came in the
mail to the secretary. The misslve
which accompanied the cash did not
tell how the money was taken origin.
ally from the government, but 1t was
just MS eloquent Of desire to make
amends. as the following will show:
A Sinners Contribution.
II am sending you herewith inclosed
$4,000, which Is to go to the use of
tho United States government. Years
ago defrauded the government, but
have returned it all, and now am pay
Ing fourfold in accordance with the
Scriptures. The way Of the trans.