The Do-Nothing Presidents 1877-1881 Hayes 1881 Garfield 1881-1885 Arthur 1885-1889 Cleveland 1889-1893 Harrison 1893-1897 Cleveland
Hayes 1877-1881 Republican His Fraudulency Compromise of 1877 Stole election from Tilden
Garfield 1881 Republican Deal for nomination: Shot by Charles Guiteau A Stalwart for VP: Arthur A Halfbreed for Sec. of State: Blaine Shot by Charles Guiteau Said: I am a Stalwart. Now Arthur is President! Convinced many that it was time for civil service reform
Arthur 1881-1885 The Pendleton Act 1883: Civil Service Reform
Cleveland 1885-1889 First Democrat since Civil War Only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms Mugwumps: Independent Republicans who were willing to desert their party to vote for an honest man…supported Cleveland because Blaine was associated with RR fraud Ugly campaign…Albany Register: A Terrible Tale
Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893 Republican Grandson of William Henry Harrison Tariff was the issue Cleveland lost due to Party Boss System (no electoral votes from New York) Tariff of 1890 (McKinley Tariff) Then economy began to go sour Public linked poor economy with the tariff
Cleveland (again) 1893-1897 Democrat Panic of 1893 Gold drain: Down to $11 million gold reserves U.S. nearly bankrupt Deal with J.P. Morgan Coxey’s Rebellion Cancer surgery on yacht Most hated man in America