Chester A. Arthur (1829-1886) was one of several Presidents in the latter half of the nineteenth century who have been all-but forgotten in the public consciousness. Along with Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland and Harrison, he is part of a long line of Presidents most people cannot remember.
This is surprising, though, especially considering the fact that Mark Twain declared, after the President had left office, that, "It would be hard indeed to better President Arthur's administration."
What was it that made this administration so impressive? It was Arthur himself.
Civil Service Reform
As a staunch stalwart, most would have expected Arthur, after having achieved the Presidency after the death of James A. Garfield, to exhibit these ideas in his administration: reverting back to the spoils system of political patronage which Garfield and former President Hayes had begun to reform.
This, however, was not the case. Arthur wanted to make it clear to all parties who might try to oppose their will on his administration that he could not be controlled.
Contrary to all expectations, Arthur quickly began to follow in Garfield's (his political enemy) footsteps in championing Civil Service Reform in the federal government.
The senate, though they may have opposed this action in principle, were forced by public opinion as a result of the death of Garfield, to follow him.
This was, in fact, Arthur's greatest legacy as President, much to the chagrin of the stalwart leaders of the Republican party, such as his former political mentor, Roscoe Conkling.
In 1883, he signed into law the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which formed a bipartisan commission that would attempt to enforce civil service reform - banning patronage and salary kickbacks for political advantage.
Though it did not work retroactively (meaning that people would not lose the jobs they already had), it was still an important step toward achieving fairness in the apportionment of government jobs.
Lowering the Tariff
Arthur also broke with the Republican establishment in his recognition of a lower tariff on traded goods. He understood that the presently high tariff (supported, generally, by Republicans) brought in an abnormally high surplus, thus negating any positive effects that a high tariff would have.
Congress passed a watered-down version of what Arthur was calling for. Where the President wanted at least a 20% reduction, the tariff of 1883 (called the "Mongrel Tariff") allowed only an average of 1.5% reduction. In the end, the tariff left no party satisfied.
Further Legacy
Those who do remember Chester A. Arthur often point to his famously large wardrobe, his ability to mingle with high society, and his facial hair.
Surely more important than this, however, was the fact that history has shown that Arthur truly did seem to be one of very few Presidents who was beyond reproach while in office. Despite his approval of a system which bred corruption prior to becoming President, he did more than anyone else to remove its influence from American Politics.
In addition to the measures already mentioned, Arthur enacted some of the first immigration reform in American history (including the controversial "Chinese Exclusion Act"), took important steps to modernize the navy (while limiting the corruption in the military establishment), and made extensive renovations to the White House.
Coming into office, the nation as a whole had been largely distrustful of the practically unknown Vice President. Leaving the office three years later (after having failed to receive his party's renomination, thanks to his independent streak and failing health), he was actually very popular.
Today, Arthur's star appears to be falling as more and more people forget his legacy. Nevertheless, those who take the time to look into the subject will surely see that there was more to Chester Allan Arthur than meets the eye.
See Also:
The Politics of Chester A. Arthur
References:
"Chester Allen Arthur." American Presidents: An Online Reference Resource.
"Biography of Chester A. Arthur." The White House.
