The Reformation of Chester Alan Arthur
There is little that happened on this day in presidential history, so I thought, why not blog about a more obscure president who has gained little notice here so far? Say, maybe, Chester Alan Arthur?
Chet Arthur was a paradox. He slipped into the presidency through the back door, when James Garfield was assasinated. Everyone thought that he would be one of the most corrupt presidents in history because, while a New York politician, he had been a proponent of the "spoils system", i.e. the notion that the winning party rewards its supporters by giving them all the best government jobs and contracts. But Chet surprised everyone, biting the hand that fed him and reforming the system and striking a blow to patronage.
Before entering elected politics, Arthur was a member of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and a political protégé of New Yor political boss Roscoe Conkling. Arthur became to Collector of the Port of New York, a plum position which he was appointed to by President Ulysses S. Grant. He was then removed by the succeeding president, the uber moral former preacher Rutherford B. Hayes, in an effort to reform the patronage system in New York because Hays thought Arthur to be too corrupt.
When Arthur became President on the death of Garfield, he surprised his Stalwart cronies by becoming a champion of civil service reform. He avoided old political pals and eventually alienated his old mentor Conkling. Arthur's primary achievement was the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, a law that established a bipartisan Civil Service Commission which provided that certain government positions could be obtained only through competitive written examinations. The system protected employees against removal for political reasons. The passage of this legislation earned Arthur the moniker "The Father of Civil Service" and a favorable reputation among historians.
Publisher Alexander K. McClure wrote, "No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired... more generally respected." Author Mark Twain, deeply cynical about politicians, conceded, "It would be hard indeed to better President Arthur's administration."
The presidency took it's toll on Arthur's health. He suffered from exhaustion, heart disease and Bright's disease and opted not to run for re-election. He died on November 18, 1886. His post presidency was the second shortest, longer only than that of James Polk who died 103 days after leaving office. Arthur is buried in Albany Rural Cemetary in Menands, New York.
Chet Arthur was a paradox. He slipped into the presidency through the back door, when James Garfield was assasinated. Everyone thought that he would be one of the most corrupt presidents in history because, while a New York politician, he had been a proponent of the "spoils system", i.e. the notion that the winning party rewards its supporters by giving them all the best government jobs and contracts. But Chet surprised everyone, biting the hand that fed him and reforming the system and striking a blow to patronage.
Before entering elected politics, Arthur was a member of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and a political protégé of New Yor political boss Roscoe Conkling. Arthur became to Collector of the Port of New York, a plum position which he was appointed to by President Ulysses S. Grant. He was then removed by the succeeding president, the uber moral former preacher Rutherford B. Hayes, in an effort to reform the patronage system in New York because Hays thought Arthur to be too corrupt.
When Arthur became President on the death of Garfield, he surprised his Stalwart cronies by becoming a champion of civil service reform. He avoided old political pals and eventually alienated his old mentor Conkling. Arthur's primary achievement was the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, a law that established a bipartisan Civil Service Commission which provided that certain government positions could be obtained only through competitive written examinations. The system protected employees against removal for political reasons. The passage of this legislation earned Arthur the moniker "The Father of Civil Service" and a favorable reputation among historians.
Publisher Alexander K. McClure wrote, "No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired... more generally respected." Author Mark Twain, deeply cynical about politicians, conceded, "It would be hard indeed to better President Arthur's administration."
The presidency took it's toll on Arthur's health. He suffered from exhaustion, heart disease and Bright's disease and opted not to run for re-election. He died on November 18, 1886. His post presidency was the second shortest, longer only than that of James Polk who died 103 days after leaving office. Arthur is buried in Albany Rural Cemetary in Menands, New York.