The Washington herald., 1913-09-28
UNCLE SANS CONSCIENCE FUND.
TransRressors Against Government
Ease Minds by Returning Money.

RON the fathnnueE
The "still small voice. OF conscience
which Shakespeare says does make
towards Of US ALL" has caused peni.
tent people throughout the United
States to turn into Uncle Sans 'con-
| science fund" the sum of nearly halt
million dollars since 1911. when the
hrst contribution was received. The
transgressions Of these contributors
cover a wide range of law-breaking
There is also a great variety in the
amounts of the sums contributed, rang
ing from cents to cover the cost of a
postage stamp filched from the govern
ment to more than slS,6OO, stolen by evad-
ing customs duties.
Most OF the persons who send money
to this fund try to keep their identity
secret. Some of them disguise their
handwriting or purposely mIsspell words.
All these precautions are unnecessary,
however, for the Treasury officials hold
all such communications confidential: in
fact, it is the one department OF the gov
eminent where wrongdoers may confess
and make restitution without fear OF
prosecution.
Most Of these letters come from wom-
en- whose wrongdoings, as a rule, involve
small transactions. Men contribute
greater amounts than women; their
crookedness usually consists in smug-
Cling and other such frauds. by which
the government Is cheated of large
sums. A few years ago the letters OF
most OF these people revealed a strong
religious feeling, and there can be little
question OF the sincerity OF the writer's.
In hard times people grow serious and
think about their sins.
or late years. since the period Of
greater prosperity began. the eontribu-
tions have been increasing. This is ex-
planned by the officials as being due to
the fact that the law-breakers have long
realized their obligations to the govern
ment, but were waiting for a time when
they would be more able. financially, to
discharge the debt. II is said. however,
that for the fiscal year just ended the
contributions to this fund have been the
smallest in twelve years. Conscience
seems to have lost its voice for the time
being
Some odd offenses are confessed TO
in the letters accompanying these con-
tributions. One man in Chicago sent in
81, with the statement that he had stolen
a small apple tree from the government
orchard at Fort Sheridan some years be-
fore and that he now wanted TO make
restitution. Another dollar came from
penitent in the West, who confessed TO
having stolen two sheets and a pillow
case from an Indian school. ManS
small contributions come from persons
who wish to make reparatiOn for having
used Cancelled stamps for sending let
tiers.
One contributor to this fund found that
he had made q mistake in his reckoning.
and in a subsequent letter asked that the
mistake be rectihed. 1t seems that this
man had brought a ring from Paris and
thought IL to be very valuable. wheI,
ha aFFiNeH In n MI
It valuation that he was sure was
much below the actual value. In order 10
escape payment OF a high duty.
Later his conscience troubled him SO
much that he felt compelled 10 make
restitution and sent $3.50 to the "con-
science fund" Some time afterward he
took the ring to a ieweler. who told him
the pearl in it was an imitation. and that
the ring was really worth less than
$50 20. So he is now trying to have the
amount he contributed to the conscience
fund returned to him. claiming that the
government really cheated him in ac-
cepting his valuation.
The conscience fund Is presided over
by an officer in the division of public
moneys. All letters accompanying re-
mittanCes are filed away. and although
the writer's name is very seldom given
in the letter. the officials try to acknowl-
tukt receipt OF lne money DN sending an
account of its receipt to the papers in the
place from which the money was sent
One man who wished to make sure that
the receipt OF the 5000 he was about to
send the government would be acklowl-
edged. tore the bills making that amount
in half and sent them in with the state
ment that the other half would come in
as soon as the department acknowledged
the receipt of the first half. True to his
word. the remaining fragments of the
bills were mailed as soon as the Fed
eral Acknowledgement reached him. OF
course these bills were as good as gold
when they were pieced together. and the
conscience fund was increased quite ma
teriaIly.
Although a separate account of this
money is kept. the money itself is placed
in the government vaults and becomes a
part of the nations funds 1t has been
suggested that this money be set aside
by act of Congress for use in some
benevolent cause. Such use would GER
.ainly not be inappropriate.