🎩Chester A. Arthur

21st President · 1881–1885 · Republican

Chester A. Arthur was a career machine politician — a protégé of New York Republican boss Roscoe Conkling who had been fired from the Customs House by Rutherford B. Hayes for political corruption. His elevation to the presidency after Garfield's assassination was widely seen as a disaster for reformers. To almost everyone's surprise, Arthur governed as a reformer and signed the landmark civil service legislation.

New York Machine Man

Arthur was the son of a Baptist preacher and an abolitionist. He served as quartermaster general for the state of New York during the Civil War before entering New York Republican politics through Roscoe Conkling's Stalwart faction. Appointed collector of the Port of New York by President Grant in 1871, Arthur ran one of the most politically-mechanized patronage shops in the country. President Hayes fired him in 1878.

Reluctant Reformer

When Arthur succeeded to the presidency, his old patrons expected a return of the spoils system. Instead, Arthur distanced himself from Conkling and signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in January 1883. The law created a Civil Service Commission and required that federal hires be tested and hired on merit. Initially it covered only about 10% of federal jobs, but later presidents expanded coverage. Arthur also vetoed a major river-and-harbors pork bill.

Illness and a Legacy

Arthur was diagnosed with Bright's disease — a fatal kidney condition — shortly after taking office and kept the illness secret. He did not actively seek renomination in 1884, though he let his name be placed in contention. He died a year after leaving office. His reputation among historians has risen steadily; he is now remembered less as a machine politician and more as a president who rose to the demands of the office.

Arthur Trivia

• Arthur burned most of his personal papers the day before he died, leaving historians little primary source material.
• He was a widower throughout his presidency — his wife Ellen had died the year before he was nominated.
• Conspiracy theories that Arthur was born in Canada (and thus constitutionally ineligible) circulated during his lifetime but have no good evidence.
• A friend wrote that Arthur "has done what was right, and a damn sight more than anybody thought he would."

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