President Arthur was denied the satisfaction of national approbation which his election to the Presidency would have given him, and as the close of his term drew near, he welcomed the relief of the release from the heavy burden. He entered into every plan for the reception of his successor, and extended every possible courtesy to the incoming administration.
Mrs. McElroy was openly mourned. Senator and Mrs. Pendleton gave a brilliant reception in her honour on her retirement, and all the officials departing and those expecting to fill their places with the resident social groups attended to do her honour. The young girls to whom she had been such a fairy godmother of good times escorted her to her train in a delegation and filled the cars with flowers.
President Arthur was not regretful at leaving the job that had caused him so much care. In his overanxiety to do what seemed best for the country, he had made enemies of old-time friends. Desiring to rise above partisan and factional contests, he had failed in his effort to please both parties. Slander, ridicule, and misrepresentation were hurled at him, not only by the Democrats, but by the opposing faction of his own party. Merciless abuse fell upon him for not complying with all requests with regard to appointments. Each faction had its chosen array of patronage which it demanded, and whichever way the distribution was made, there was dissatisfaction. While he might easily have found eager friends to reveal inside facts that would have placed him in a better light and permitted such odium as there was to fall upon those who were responsible, he flatly refused, preferring to bear the brunt of much misjudgment himself rather than to be the means of shifting it to another.
The calumny resulted, however, in the breaking of his spirit and his health.
His administration was one of dignity, intelligence, and firmness. He met the problems that beset him with marked skill. He took a firm stand in support of the Civil Service laws and appointed a commission to revise the tariff. He added his influence to the promotion of Indian education, supported the plans to increase the strength of the navy, and also the measures for controlling and improving the course of the Mississippi River. Under his régime, a Civil Service Commission was established to conduct examinations for appointments to minor places in the government service.
His administration saw a return of prosperity in the greatest degree the country had ever experienced. The public debt was reduced nearly $500,000,000, internal revenue stamps were repealed, the number of collection districts was lessened, and letter postage was reduced from three cents per one half ounce to two cents per one ounce. A bill was passed for distributing the Geneva award, another for returning convicts to our shores, the tax on matches, checks, and drafts was removed, and the importation of convict labour was forbidden. In 1883, the President joined the Villard Excursion party to drive the silver spike. Provision was made for the adjudication of the French spoliation claims long awaiting payment and for the final distribution of the balance of $15,000,000, paid by England to the United States in satisfaction of the claims of Americans for losses by rebel cruisers fitted out in British ports.
The Star Route contractors were brought to trial, and the long-brewing scandal of their transactions ended. These contractors had mail routes remote from the great lines of travel for which they demanded huge sums for the service of getting the mail through on time. In the investigation ordered by President Arthur, it was shown that thousands of dollars had been continuously paid by the government for no service at all, and for weekly service for which some careless cowboy had been paid seventy-five dollars a month, and in some cases much smaller amounts. Attorney General Brewster finally secured the indictment of seven of these, and the trial dragged along for months, attracting a great sensation because of the prominence and brilliance of the legal lights on both sides. As no conspiracy against the government could be found as alleged by the prosecution, the jury rendered a verdict of acquittal. The government had spent a lot of money, and while the contractors missed punishment through their acquittal, the publicity and the attitude of the officials broke up the system of the star route by which the United States Post Office and Treasury had so long been victimized.
Among the last official acts of President Arthur was the signing of the bill to retire General Grant with full rank and pay. He also urged Congressional action upon the gifts presented by Mrs. Grant as expressed in the letter here quoted:
Executive Mansion, February 3, 1885.
To the Senate and House of Representatives: