Great Moments In American History - The Creation Of The Merit System Todays weather is being compared to the Great Blizzard of 1888 which killed Sen. Roscoe Conkling (R-NY). He was a major leader in the Glided Age, and his power was based on the spoils system. He thought he was strong enough to reverse the President, but there were two stunning surprises. The first was the assassination of President James Garfield, and the new leader was Conklings best friend. The Senator was completely responsible for the rise of President Chester Alan Arthur. It should have been Conklings hey day, but the second shock was that the new President completely changed. It would be similar to Obama governing as a conservative after campaigning as a liberal. The careers of Conkling and Arthur were based on political patronage, but the new President became a reformer and implemented the merit system. The new Civil Service Commission largely ended the payoffs that had been common in the past. Journalist Alexander McClure wrote in 1885, No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted as Chester Alan Arthur, and no one ever retired more generally respected, alike by political friend and foe. Mark Twain was one of many Arthur critics who admitted they had misjudged him. Twain wrote It would be hard indeed to better President Arthurs administration.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:26:19 +0000
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