Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-02-01
soLDsER,s DISCHARGES.

net to sell or dispose Of their discharg-
es. We now call their attention to this
subject for the purpose OF warning
them against placing their discharge
in the hands of any attorney or
claim agent, who, for the purpose of
getting possession OF them, attempts
to create the impression that, under
any law Of Congress or of the Legisla-
ture of Ohio, any extra bounty or ex.
ira pay has been allowed or authorized.
No such legislation has occurred, and
there is no certainty that any such leg
islation will occur There are numer-
Gus bills before Congress, providing for
an equalization Of bounty, &c, which,
II passed, will give additional bounty
to the volunteers of 1872 and 8, but
there is very strong opposition to their
passage at this time, because of the
very large increase Of public debt they
would necessitate, to raise the money
(estimated at $500, 900, ,OOO) to meet the
additional expenditure. 1t is quite
probable, therefore, that these bills
will all be laid on the table. or other
wise rejected for this session at least,
and until such times as the condition
of the finances of tho country will bet
ter justify this large additional expen-
diture. There is no doubt but that
Congress will, sooner or later, equalizc
bounties, but there is no certainty that
IL will be done this winter; and these
parties who are making such m effort
to get possession of soldiers discharge
papers are doing it with view to their
own interest, when such legislation
may occur; and when they attcmpt to
make soldiers believe that they can at
present obtain any additional bounty or
pay not allowed by laws or general
d oMers heretofore promulgated, or that
they are spseially prepared TO benefit the
soldier, and by such representation get
possession of their papers, they are
guilty Of Misrepresentation and fraud,
and their motives In getting possession
Of these discharge papers, so valuable
to the soldier, are very questionable.
We have been asked to publish the
advertisement of Columbus firm, for
which the pay was rendered, calling on
soldiers to forward their discharges,
and holding out as an inducement that
they could do moro than any Other
firm, and so wording their circular OF
advertisement as to create the impress
sion that there was bounty due that
could be at'once collected. We refused
to publish 1t, and returned it, with the
money, to the parties. Since then M'
same advsrtisemens with very slight al
teration has been published in this
County, over the signature Of a "Unitet
States Claim Agent" asking soldiers tt
forward their discharges to him.
We advise all soldiers to take cart
Of their own discharges, keep them il
their own possession until they hav'
some claim TO collect, or until it shal
be TO their interest to place them il
other hands.
When you have once placed you
papers In the hands Of an agent. yo
are, to very great extent, at his mercy
and he may charge you what he plcasss
While they are In your hands, you ma
make your own contract. We kno'
OF q number of cases where paper
have been placed in the hands Of agent
TO collect claims, without a contrac
and they kept the larger part OF th
money for their fees. Mr.. Il. Keysel
OF Bcllaire, employed a washingto
City agent to collect the amount du
him rs n sergeant after his promotio
20 lieutenancy. The claim was al
and the agent retained S27. Mr.. j. N
Welsh employed q Columbus attorne
70 collect the amount due him. The o
torney collected $500, and charged go
for his fees. A Belmont County age,
agreed to collect the local bounty, n
signed by soldier to his father, al
geat directly to the Express agent
the town where the father reside
found the money there, lifted it Al
paid 1t over to the party, charging b
ESQ. These are few Of the ma
frauds We have heard Of and We me
tion them simply to show what may
and u done by claim agents who q
possession Of soldiers discharges.