The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-09-12

VIZ; Is known rs n. "Consci"Nc*
F0nd q IL. Treasury Department Is
grown. beautifully jess, Indicating
l1st tce void is growing better u
1hat tae people are becoming Gcn
sClsICeleSS
Fcr tHe 6scal year ciosin% Jane ~
ne jylal ;-n4cEnt received a02 cr@GS-
&C To tnls tuna amounted 70 c1ly ~
f*H.Sn, beln. {. decided G@ feas3 hpt2
'oat II the yea ISV6. waeo it VAS -
343z9 Ia 1875 il WAS 81 .33G.32, {
year IL Which conscience got J.? It's
wc:k il good shape, bat wGlc', Was
Dot TIE largest received in any o:a fls-
Gel rse:, since the account IVES opened
in le1l. The Lo:2l amount ot tbs
fuao now :;oes considerably over $780,
800, every cent coming from those who
wished 70 make aLonen2snt for sans
committed il the Way Of piIfeTuS
from The government.
II may be t2at the so5ourn ct some
Of tie sinners at the McundsTli3e pen
iteatlary and the narrow escape OF
others from that institution Rave
something TO Go with the decrease CT
the fund. The close watch kept Oh
soYernm@nt emp4oyes has unqaes-
llonatJy had much 10 GO with the tai
ing Of OF the fund, for there is ao[
ROW the opportunities 70 pttfer from
s,l 80
when laxer methods prevailed through
OCT the entire government. IL is H2e
tnat once ia great while a large
amour, is restored. For some tine
after the WAY. when all sorts OF steal
ings were rife in ell parts Of the coan-
Try, coEScieaces OF the criminals seem
10 baYe reached q 9esy respectable
proportion and penitence found vent
il a regular cornucopia of regrets e.
pressed IN cash or lis equivalent.
The decline Of the fund.- said one
Of the Treasury officials. is not Que
TO the fact that the world is growing
better, but that people have not tire
conscience they once had. That tie
woriG is growing worse there can be
no doubt, anc that little monitor call
ed conscience is rot oYertaIed. There
is just as much small pilferings IN
the government as there eyer was.
We seldom hear Of these. but occa-
sionalIy one OF the 'plGngers' Is caught
up with and made TO pay the penalty.
bo .xal., "a
er, by d long jump. Ia a word, you
may say that conscience Is simply MOI
doing its work: it is held in check"
The history OF the fund is not With,
out interest and entertainment, The
account was opened in Septm5er. 1871.
with q contribution CT less than II,
which WAS forwarded TO the Treasury
by o. conscience-stricken resident OF
New York, who stated that be had
taken the amount from the govern
ment and wanted to make restitution.
OGc!Als OF the department state that
II was not known at that time what
dc with the money, and simple mem
orandum was made and the slip OF
pager filed in one OF the drawers,
where il remained undisturbed for
many years. 1t appeared that there
would never be another contribution
OF this character, and, In fact. IL was
not until 1861, soon after the breaking
out of the Civil War, when a bundle
was received containing $4,000 in
bonds, accompanied By statement
that the restitution which had long
been due the government was prompt
ed by conscience. This gave the ac-
count It's name, conscience Fund" lt
has since remained open, and all
amounts returned TO the Treasury In
consequence of the prickings OF the
inward monitor (Which In 100 many In
stances seems TO be ironclad) have
been credited To ii. covered into the
general treasury as miscellaneous
receipt and may be used like other
assets OF the Treasury for any pur-
pose that Congress may deem proper
Letters with Enclosures intended for
the conscience fund are usually ad
dressed TO the treasurer, Uut lHcy 20
to the public moneys division. which
makes note Of the amounts and depos-
its them with the treasurer Of the
United States. The sums received
are almost always in cash, stamps,
with now and then draft. They are
never accompanied by the names OF
the senders, except once in while In
the cases Of persons who have made
mistakes as to payments Of customs
duties. The written communications
relating to them are very brief as
rule. If otherwise, they contain elab'
crate apologies and appeals. Occa-
sionally letters are signed by clergy
mea at the request OF penitenta. Re-
nit ance. are received almost weekly
occasionally the receipts are two or
three week.
In Forwarding money for the con-
science fund the aenicrs frequently re-
quest that acknowledgment shall b.
made by publication in the ncwspa-