Chester A. Arthur administration

Chester A. Arthur administration
Charles Milton Bell · Public domain · source
Name	Chester A. Arthur
Caption	Official portrait of Chester A. Arthur
Birth date	October 5, 1829
Birth place	Fairfield, Vermont
Death date	November 18, 1886
Death place	New York City, New York
Party	Republican Party
Office	21st President of the United States
Term start	September 19, 1881
Term end	March 4, 1885
Vice president	None
Predecessor	James A. Garfield
Successor	Grover Cleveland

Chester A. Arthur administration began when Chester A. Arthur assumed the presidency after the assassination of James A. Garfield and concluded with the inauguration of Grover Cleveland. Arthur, a former Collector of the Port of New York and Vice President of the United States, presided over a period marked by significant civil service reform, debates over tariff policy, renewed attention to the United States Navy, and contentious political struggles within the Republican Party.

Presidency and accession

Arthur became president following Garfield's shooting at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station and the subsequent death of Garfield at Elberon, New Jersey. As vice president, Arthur's elevation highlighted the constitutional succession provisions in the United States Constitution and spurred public attention to the role of the vice presidency. His accession brought figures such as Roscoe Conkling, George F. Edmunds, Senator George F. Edmunds, James G. Blaine, and Mugwumps into renewed prominence in national discourse. The transition involved officials from the United States Department of State, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Treasury and other cabinet members including Robert Todd Lincoln and William H. Robertson. The episode prompted discussions in the United States Congress and among legal scholars like Joseph P. Bradley and Samuel F. Miller regarding continuity of executive authority and the functioning of the Presidential Succession mechanism.

Domestic policy and civil service reform

Arthur surprised many patronage proponents by championing the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act and signing it into law, aligning with reformers such as George William Curtis, Mugwumps, and Carl Schurz. The act established the United States Civil Service Commission and created competitive examinations modeled after systems in the United Kingdom and advocated by figures like Montesquieu in broader administrative theory. Arthur's administration confronted entrenched machine politics led by Roscoe Conkling, Tammany Hall, and allies in the New York State Senate, with interventions involving actors such as Chester A. Arthur (as Collector), President pro tempore of the Senate and reform senators including Henry L. Dawes. Civil service changes affected appointments across departments such as State, Treasury, Navy and Post Office. The reform efforts prompted debates in periodicals like Harper's Weekly, The New York Times, and among authors such as Mark Twain and activists including Lucy Stone.

Economic policy and tariff debates

Arthur's term coincided with national debates over tariff policy involving proponents like William McKinley supporters, Morrill Tariff defenders, and protectionist leaders such as Benjamin Harrison. The administration faced pressure from industrialists in Pittsburgh, Lynn, Massachusetts, and Chicago and from agricultural interests in Iowa and Kansas favoring lower duties. Arthur appointed Treasury officials including William Windom and worked with Treasury Secretary successors to manage the Coinage Act aftermath and the gold standard versus bimetallism debates echoed by figures like William Jennings Bryan (later). He navigated controversies sparked by customs houses policy, interactions with businessmen such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, and financiers in Wall Street, and congressional maneuvering led by committees chaired by legislators including Justin Smith Morrill and Wright (chair).

Foreign policy and naval modernization

On foreign affairs Arthur emphasized maritime strength, commissioning modernization programs that upgraded ships in the United States Navy (early) and ordered construction of vessels influenced by designs from Sir William White and American naval architects like John Ericsson. The administration dispatched squadrons to protect American interests in Panama, intervene diplomatically with governments in Chile and Peru, and handle incidents involving Samoa and Hawaii amid rivalries with Great Britain, Germany, and Spain. Arthur supported treaties and negotiations conducted by Secretary of State Frederick T. Frelinghuysen and envoys like General Ulysses S. Grant (in post-presidential diplomacy) and received envoys such as Lajos Kossuth in symbolic moments. Naval appropriation bills passed with advocacy from senators including Warren and representatives influenced by Naval Affairs Committee members, leading to the construction of new protected cruisers and steel-hulled warships that presaged the later Great White Fleet era.

Judicial appointments and legal legacy

Arthur appointed several federal judges and filled vacancies on the Supreme Court of the United States bench, including nominees vetted by senators such as George F. Edmunds and legal advisors like Benjamin H. Bristow. His appointments to the United States Circuit Courts and United States District Courts included jurists from states such as New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Arthur's legal legacy includes decisions and appointments that shaped interpretations of the Pendleton Act, civil-service enforcement, and administrative law precedents later cited by jurists like Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. and Samuel F. Miller. He also interacted with legal institutions including the American Bar Association and accepted nominations that affected federal jurisprudence during the Gilded Age.

Political controversies and 1884 election

Arthur's breach with Roscoe Conkling and the Stalwart faction produced intraparty feuds involving figures like Abram S. Hewitt, James G. Blaine, George F. Edmunds, and the Half-Breeds. Allegations of patronage, the influence of Tammany Hall leaders such as Richard Croker, and disputes over customs appointments fueled criticism in outlets like The Sun and Harper's Bazaar. Arthur contemplated but ultimately declined a full campaign in the 1884 United States presidential election, which produced a contest between James G. Blaine and Grover Cleveland. The election showcased defections by Mugwumps, endorsements by reformers including Carl Schurz, and the role of third-party movements such as the Greenback Party and Prohibition Party in shaping electoral coalitions.

Public image and health decline

Arthur cultivated a public image associated with Gilded Age elegance, conspicuous consumption at receptions linked to New York Society, and sartorial fame tied to tailors in New York City. He faced caricature in Puck (magazine), Harper's Weekly, and commentary from writers including Nast, Thomas and Mark Twain. Health problems emerged late in his life; physicians like Dr. Robert Reyburn and contemporaries recorded ailments related to Bright's disease, hypertension, and complications following earlier bouts of illness while at Long Branch, New Jersey and in New York City. Arthur retired to New York and died at his home in Manhattan in 1886, with funerary observances attended by political figures including Rutherford B. Hayes and William Henry Vanderbilt.

Category:Chester A. Arthur