The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-09-04
HOW THE "CONSCIENCE FUND"
LIFTS THE LOAD OF CARE.

can have neither so long as | carry
this terrible witness. Now | can feel
a realization of the proverb, Be yir-
tuous and you will be happy Now
can feel an assurance that In years yet
to come it can be said of my children
(yet to GOMEZ, they were of poor but
honest parents Please acknowledge
through local press, and request them
to put In double-leaded BREWER, edi-
torlal page"
A conscience-stricken department
clerk wrote:
"A clear conscience softens the
hardest bed, and as | am poor gov
ernment clerk my bed Is very hard
and needs softening, so herewith re-
turn 81 which was overpaid me last
payday, and, besides, have loafed q
good deal lately"
Here's a letter which has the true
ring:
Enclosed Is check for $3.50. l
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 were well aware
of it. | entered the army poor and
sick-too poor, in fact, to get along
well without clear conscience"
One of the largest contributions ever
received was $4,000, and 1t was ac-
companied by this letter:
81 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 I have returned 1t all
and am paying fourfold in accordance
with the teachings of the Scriptures.
The way of the transgressor 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 it has happened
that people have cut bills in two, send
ing one-half 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 1t
belongs and keep your record clear"
| An envelope postmarker Bealeton, Va,
contained six two-cent stamps and a
sheet of paper upon which was writ
ten, 81 misused six stamps and am
now returning them" A remittance
of SO. 40 was received from man who
wrote that he felt sorry for having
beaten his passage on government
train during the war.
It 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 multifarious
chats that are practiced undetected
and apparently unregretted by those
who perpetrate them. A fraud on
the government of a comparatively in
nocent sort is often practiced in the
army. A quartermaster finds his
stores short by 100 tent pins, five an
wills, and fourteen sledge hammers.
Very likely it is not his fault; such
things will happen. Presently a sol
der deserts and disappears. Incl
dentally to the report Of desertion
sent to Washington, mention is made
of loo 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 quar-
obliged to pay for the missing arti1
cles.
Voyagers returning from across the
seas fetch gems concealed in cakes OK
soap, in the followed heels of boots
beneath porous plasters, in cartridge
from which the bullets have been re-
moved and the powder taken out, and
in various and sundry other ways.
device of folding diamonds in a Sin
of meat, feeding 1t to dog just bel
fore reaching port, and killing the ami
NAL a few hours later is a familiar
| one e-WashingtOn Sta. J