The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-10-10
HOW THE CONSCIENCE FUND +"
LIFTS THE LOAD OF CARE.

In excess Of the money inelosed- one
Of these letters reads;
Enclosed please find 70 cents. coin
n the realm. won from a United States
navmaster at draw poker, and which
am convinced rightfully belongs to
Uncle Samuel. / have carried II Tor
nearly six months, and dare not trust
myself with it any longer. Ny con.
science calls for rellef-my harassed
nature calls for a good nights sleep.
can have neither so long as | carry
This terrible witness. Now | can feel
n realization Of the proverb, BE vir-
tuous and you will be happy Now
can feel an assurance that in years yet
10 come It can be said Of my children
wet to GOMEZ, they were OF poor but
honest parents. Please acknowledge
through local press. and request them
10 put in doublo-leaded brewer, edi'
torial page"
A conscience-stricken department
clerk wrote:
"A clear conscience softens the
hardest bed, and as l am a poor gov
eminent clerk my bed is very hard
and needs softening, so herewith re-
turn 81 which was overpaid me last
payday, and, besides, l have loafed q
good deal lately"
Here's a letter which has the true
ring:
Enclosed is a check for $50. I
will briefly explain. | have been In
the United States service and a part Of
the time with rank which entitled me
to two servants. drew pay for two,
but actually had but one 1t was the
common practice of officers to do this,
and the paymasters we're well aware
Of IT, entered the army poor and
sick-too poor, in fact, to get along
we'll without a clear conscience.
One Of the largest contributions ever
received was $4,000, and it was &C
companied by this letter:
Il am sending you herewith inclOsed
$4,000 which is to go to the use Of
the United States government Years
ago | defrauded the government Of
money, but now have returned IL all
and am paying fourfOld in accordance
with the teachings Of the Scriptures.
The way OF the transgress0r is hard,
and no one but God knows how have
suffered"
There are many such letters as
these, but in a large number Of in
stances the contributions are made
without any explanations whatever,
On several occasions 1t has happened
that people have cut bills in two. send
ing one-haf to the Secretary OF the
Treasury, and the other half to the
treasurer, for the sake Of safety.
There are persons who do not enter
tain absolute faith in the integrity OF
government officials. One man for
warded $40 to the conscience fund,
SAYING Pay this money where It
belongs and keep your record clear"
An envelope postmarker Bealeton, Va.
contained six two-cent stamps and q
sheet Of paper upon which was writ
ten. Il misused six stamps and am
now returning them" A remittance
Of $40 was received from a man who
wrote that he felt sorry for having
beaten his passage on a government
train during the war.
II is a melancholy thing to be oblig-
ed to say that the swindles against
the government which bear such fruit
of repentance seem to be a sadly
small percentage Of the multifarlous
chats that are practieed undecided
and apparently unregretted by those
who perpetrate them. A fraud on
the government OF a comparatively in
nocent sort is often practiced in the
Srmy. A quartermaster finds his
stores short by 100 tent pins. fve an
wills, and fourteen siedge hammers.
Very likely II is not his fault; such
things win happen. Presently a sol
der deserts and disappears Incl
dentaHy to the report Of desertiou
sent to Washington. mention is made
Of 100 tent pins, five anvils and four
teen sledge hammers as having dis
appeared with the delinquent The
latter Is supposed to be walking across
the country with these articles thrown
termaster. Who would otherwise be
over his back This squares the guar
obliged to pay for the missing arti-
cles-
VOyagers returning from across tho
seas fetch gems concealed in cakes Of
soap. IN the followed heels Of boots
beneath porous plasters, in cartridges
from which the bullets have been re-
moved and the powder taken out. and
in various and sundry other ways The
device Of folding diamonds In a slice