Presidency of Chester A. Arthur

Presidency of Chester A. Arthur
Name	Chester A. Arthur
Order	21st President of the United States
Vice president	None
Party	Republican Party
Term start	September 19, 1881
Term end	March 4, 1885
Predecessor	James A. Garfield
Successor	Grover Cleveland

Presidency of Chester A. Arthur Chester A. Arthur assumed the presidency after the assassination of James A. Garfield, navigating factional conflict within the Republican Party, reform pressures from advocates such as Rutherford B. Hayes allies, and international tensions involving powers like Great Britain and China. Arthur's administration emphasized civil service reform, modernization of the United States Navy, and judicial appointments including selections to the Supreme Court. His term intersected with figures and institutions including Roscoe Conkling, George F. Edmunds, Thomas C. Platt, William H. Vanderbilt, and policy debates over the tariff and regulatory responses to corporate consolidation exemplified by the Standard Oil Company.

Accession to the Presidency

Arthur became President following the shooting of James A. Garfield by Charles J. Guiteau and Garfield's subsequent death, creating a constitutional transition that involved the United States Constitution, the Cabinet of the United States, and key officials such as Chester A. Arthur as Vice President. Factional leaders like Roscoe Conkling and Thomas C. Platt had positioned Arthur as a compromise vice presidential candidate at the 1880 Convention. The sudden elevation prompted reactions from Senator George F. Edmunds, Speaker of the House Samuel J. Randall, and reformers linked to President Rutherford B. Hayes who pressured for administrative continuity and institutional stability at locations such as the White House and the United States Capitol.

Domestic Policy and Administration

Arthur reorganized executive functions, relying on advisers connected to the New York Custom House patronage machine and critics from the Civil Service Reform Association. He navigated conflicts with political bosses including Roscoe Conkling and negotiated with congressional leaders such as James G. Blaine and George F. Edmunds. Arthur's appointments brought figures like William H. Vanderbilt associates into contact with tariff debates in the House of Representatives and fiscal oversight in the Treasury Department. His administration confronted crises involving the Knights of Labor and labor unrest tied to industrial centers in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and New York City, while also addressing regulatory questions raised by Interstate Commerce Commission proponents and populist voices allied with Benjamin Harrison opponents.

Civil Service Reform and the Pendleton Act

A defining achievement was Arthur's support for the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, enacted into law under congressional sponsorship by George H. Pendleton and with procedural assistance from Senator John Sherman. The Act established competitive examinations administered by a newly constituted United States Civil Service Commission, reducing patronage influence from entities like the New York Custom House and political operatives such as Roscoe Conkling and Thomas C. Platt. Arthur's signing altered relations with the Republican National Committee and influenced later reformers including Carl Schurz and journalists at publications like Harper's Weekly and The New York Times. The Pendleton framework affected federal employment practices tied to the Treasury Department, Post Office Department, and diplomatic service overseen by the State Department.

Economic Policy and Tariff Reform

On tariff policy Arthur signed the Tariff Act of 1883, also known as the "Mongrel Tariff," shaped by legislators including William P. Frye, William McKinley's later efforts, and advocates such as Henry C. Payne. The law moderated certain duties affecting manufacturing centers in New England and Midwestern industries linked to firms like Carnegie Steel Company and Standard Oil Company. Arthur's fiscal stewardship engaged the United States Treasury, with surplus management debated by Treasury Secretary William Windom and Benjamin H. Bristow allies. Financial issues during his term also connected to the Gold Standard advocates and discussions in venues like the New York Stock Exchange and banking houses such as J.P. Morgan & Co..

Foreign Policy and Naval Modernization

Arthur advanced a naval modernization program championed by Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney successors and influenced by naval strategists like Alfred Thayer Mahan's emerging ideas. The administration authorized construction of new steel-hulled cruisers and monitors, reflecting strategic competition with maritime powers including Great Britain, France, and the Empire of Japan. Arthur's foreign policy confronted issues in Latin America and Asia, including diplomatic incidents relating to Chinese Exclusion Act era immigration tensions and negotiations with Kingdom of Hawaii representatives. He navigated treaty questions involving the Anglo-American relations and commercial disputes with freight interests represented by families such as the Vanderbilts.

Judiciary, Legal Issues, and Appointments

Arthur filled judicial vacancies with nominees acceptable to senators like George F. Edmunds and reform-minded Republicans including William M. Evarts. His appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States and lower federal courts influenced jurisprudence on commerce, patents, and antitrust questions that later involved litigants such as Standard Oil Company and industrialists like Andrew Carnegie. Legal controversies during his term touched administrative law and congressional oversight involving bodies such as the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and the Department of Justice overseen by Attorneys General like Wayne MacVeagh and Benjamin H. Brewster.

1884 Election, Legacy, and Historical Assessment

Arthur chose not to actively seek the Republican nomination in 1884, opening the way for contenders including James G. Blaine and eventual nominee James G. Blaine's rival, the Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland, who won the presidency. The 1884 campaign involved figures such as Mark Hanna precursors and reform advocates like Carl Schurz, and media controversies involving publications like Harper's Weekly and The New York Times. Historians assess Arthur's legacy through lenses provided by scholars referencing the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, naval expansion that prefigured the Great White Fleet, and administrative decisions remembered alongside political bosses like Roscoe Conkling. Biographical works by authors examining Arthur, including those drawing on archives at institutions like the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration, place his presidency between the reform impulses of Rutherford B. Hayes and the electoral realignments that produced Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison.

Category:Chester A. Arthur