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Show CONSCIENCE MONEY. Persons Who Make Restitution Restitu-tion to the Government, j SMALL SUMS THE GENERAL RULE. EumittauctiH bo Made as to Coucoal the Sender. : A remittance of (WO was received at the treasury from Cleveland as a contribution contri-bution to the "conscience fund." I had a talk wilh llio chief clerk of the division of public moneys in the treasury department depart-ment about it. Tho money so received Is not kept in a separate fund, but Is ; turned Into the treasury tho same on I money that comes in from other sources of revenue. The amount received each I year appears in the annual reports. It varies a good deal. One year it may be $.100 and the next $5, 000. It Is usually made up of sinull sums, though not infrequently in-frequently fiinglo remittances run up into the hundreds and now and then into the thou Hfi nds. It will be understood that these amounts are sent by persona who havo, purposely or otherwise, defrauded thegovernment, and are induced by the sinkings of conscience con-science to make restitution. In forty-nino cases out of fifty the money is 6cnt in such a way oh not to afford the slightest : possible clow to the Identity of the Ben- der. Tho fact that Undo Sam has the ' money seems to be a Butllcient sedative 1 to the perturbed conscience, without that "open confession" which is said to be "good for tho soul." Sometimes brief explanatory notes are Bent, stating for j what the money is duo tho government, I but a signature of any kind is extremely : raro. Somo merely Bay, "This money be- 1 longs to the United States," or words of 1 Blmilar purport. In many cases there is not a scratch of pen or pencil, the money I being simply inclosed in on envelope, perhaps folded in a Bheet of blank paper. ! All such aro presumed to bo cases of "conscience" and are so treated. It is, of course, impossible to give any receipts for tho monoy. Now and then one will , writo, "Please acknowledge receipt in tho newspapers." This is Ihe reason why care is usually taken to havo the receipt of "conscience money" mentioned in tho Associated Press dispatches. The senders ore likely to be watching for such items, and when they see that the money is in the treasury they no doubt feel that they aro in better shape for tho final reckoning reckon-ing in tho hereafter. "The only cases," said the clerk, "which havo anybody's name connected with them are thoso Bimilar to one wo had a year or two ngo. A Catholic priest In Boston wrote that ono of his parishioners, parish-ioners, on bis deathbed, confessed to him that he had wronged the government out of $50. He could not dio in ponce without making restitution, but desired that his name bo withheld. Tho priest indorsed the amount, with interest for nino years at 8 per cent., $80 in all. Tho man evidently didn't want that" debt to bother him in the next world and prolong pro-long his stay in purgatory. The priest, of course, signed his own name, and we acknowledged by letter tho receipt of the money. We have had a number of instances of that kind, in which conscience con-science seemed to be quickened by serious illness or the confessional. "The most common reasons giving for remitting, when the sendors make any explanation at all, are that the money is due for internal revenue taxes or customs cus-toms duties evaded, or for frauds to avoid the payment of postage. I remember one caso of a wealthy lady who, after spending some time abroad, returned to this country, bringing with her a valuable valua-ble article of wearing apparel. I think It was for her personal use, and not strictly dutiable, but her conscience troubled her about it. She went back to England, and while there told the story to one of our consuls, requesting him to ascertain what would be the amount of duty on such a garment. Ho did so, and she promptly remitted it to us. She sent with it a nice little noto explaining the matter. It was full of contrition, and expressed the hope that Uncle Sam would forgivo her. But she hadn't- the courage to sign her name to it. "A single inclosuro of $4,000 is the largest amount I remember to have been received from one person. It was a little lit-tle singular that for this large sum there was absolutely nothing to show whenco it como except tho postmark on the envelope. en-velope. Even that may have been misleading, mis-leading, as it is quite possible that the repentant sinner sent it away from home to bo mailed. He was evidently very careful to conceal his identity, as the money was in four $1,000 bills. Upon the paper wrapped around tho money was written: 'Please place this to the credit of Conscience,' and that was all. A draft, you know, would have furnished fur-nished a clow that might easily have been followed up, if we had chosen to pursue the matter. I do not remember ever receiving 'conscience money' in any other form than currency. They aro all too smart to send drafts or money orders. or-ders. "I remember one remittance as small as ten cents, and that was a fpnny case, too. The money was inclosed in quite a long letter, unsigned, iu which the writer wri-ter said that when a boy he received a letter from a friend, the thrco cent postage post-age stamp on which had escaped cancellation. can-cellation. More iu a spirit of mischief than anything else, ho detaclrcd ihe stamp and used it on his answer lo the letter, thus making it do double duty, and cheating the government out of three cents. He wrote that although it seemed like a trifling matter it had always al-ways troubled him on the principle, 1 suppose, that 'it is a sin to steal a pin. even though it may be greater to steal a "tater.' It has been nearly twenty years since the otlense was committed, and the writer said he presumed the interest would increase the debt 10 seven or eigh: cents. He inclosed ten so as to be sure 1 there would be enough." Washington I Cor. Cleveland l.adr ' |