as one who, by elevating the standard of the public morality, and adorning and purifying the public service, merits the lasting gratitude of his country and his party.

8. Free ships, and a living chance for American commerce upon the seas; and on the land, no discrimination in favor of transportation lines, corporations, or monopolies.

9. Amendments of the Burlingame treaty; no more Chinese immigration, except for travel, education, and foreign commerce, and, therein, carefully guarded.

10. Public money and public credit for public purposes solely, and pub. lic land for actual settlers.

11. The democratic party is the friend of labor and the laboring man, and pledges itself to protect him alike against the cormorants and the

commune.

12. We congratulate the country upon the honesty and thrift of a democratic Congress, which has reduced the public expenditure $10,000,000 a year; upon the continuation of prosperity at home and the national honor abroad; and, above all, upon the promise of such a change in the administration of the government as shall insure a genuine and lasting reform in every department of the public service.

CHAPTER XXII.

GARFIELD'S AND ARTHUR'S ADMINISTRATION.

1881-188-.

GARFIELD'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.

The inauguration of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur, as President and Vice-President of the United States, took place on the 4th of March, 1881.

In his inaugural address the President advocated the regulation of the civil service by law, universal education as a safeguard of suffrage, the refunding of the national debt at a lower rate of interest, without compelling the withdrawal of the national bank notes, and the adjustment of our monetary system, so that the purchasing power of every coined dollar will be exactly equal to its debt-paying power, in all the markets in the world. He advocated the prohibition of poligamy, and promised equal protection of the laws for all citizens, without distinction of race or color.

His cabinet nominations were made and confirmed the day following the inauguration. He selected James G. Blaine, secretary of state; William Windom, of Minnesota, secretary of treasury; William H. Hunt, of Louisiana, secretary of the navy; Robert T. Lincoln, of Illinois, secretary of war; Wayne McVeagh, of Pennsylvania, attorney-general; Thomas L. James, of New York, postmaster-general; and Samuel J. Kirkwood, of Iowa, secretary of the interior.

EXTRA SESSION OF THE SENATE.

The necessity for an extra session of the Senate was made known by President Hayes, in a proclamation, preceding the

close of his term of service. In accordance with this call, the Senate met in extra session on the 4th of March, 1881. The parties were so evenly divided that business involving political questions could not be rapidly transacted. This evenness of the parties resulted in a dead-lock that was not broken without weeks of bitter partisan discussion. That which clogged the work of the Senate was the question of organization. The republicans desired new officers, chosen from their own party; the democrats wished to retain the old officers, who were members of their party. Senator David Davis, of Illinois, was classed as an independent. When he voted with the republicans they were enabled to carry their measures by the casting vote of the Vice-President, their presiding officer. When Mr. Davis voted with the democrats, the vote of the Vice-President was of no avail to the republicans. On the question of organization the view of Mr. Davis accorded with that of the democrats. The dead-lock was not broken until a sufficient number of recently chosen republicans entered the Senate to overcome the slight advantage of the democrats.

During this session much was said by the senators and the press on "senatorial courtesy," a privilege of the Senate, which, according to courtesy and custom, leaves to the senators of a state the right to say who shall be appointed from their respective states, provided the senators are of the same party as the President. One wing of the republican party, headed by Senator Conkling, put great stress upon this custom, while the other wing, supporting the administration, set it at naught.

President Garfield sent in the names of five persons whom he had nominated for important positions in New York. This had been done at the suggestion of Senator Conkling, who had been invited by the President to name his friends. While this was satisfactory to the senator and his adherents,

it called forth loud protests from those who did not believe that so many nominations should be selected from the friends of Mr. Conkling. For the collector of customs at New York no nomination was at first made, General Edwin H. Merritt being the incumbent.

To allay the dissatisfaction occasioned by the five nominations, and, perhaps, to quiet the rapidly developing spirit of faction in New York between the Grant and the anti-Grant partisans, President Garfield, on the 23d of March, sent in the name of Judge William H. Robertson for the New York collectorship. The Judge had opposed the unit rule at Chicago, disavowed the instructions of the New York convention to vote for General Grant, and headed the Blaine delegates from that state, and on the withdrawal of the latter, used his influence for the nomination of Garfield. He was not, therefore, in political accord with Senator Conkling. The latter now endeavored to secure the confirmation of his friends, and defeat that of the Judge, who was his political enemy. This effort influenced the President to withdraw the nominations that had been suggested by the Senator, thus leaving for confirmation before the Senate, for a time, the name of Judge Robertson alone. Against this withdrawal the New York senator and the Vice-President remonstrated in a letter to the Executive, but he did not recede from his position. Whereupon Senator Conkling endeavored to defeat the nomination of Robertson under the plea of the "privilege of the Senate," as to senatorial courtesy. There were arrayed against him the influence of Mr. Blaine, the secretary of state, and a sufficient number of senators to counteract the influence of Conkling. Seeing that the confirmation of the Judge could not be prevented, Senators Conkling and Platt sent in their resignations, which were read to the Senate. These were prepared without consultation with intimate friends, and created great excitement

throughout the country. Governor Cornell, of New York, to whom the resignations were sent, used in vain his influence to have them reconsidered and withdrawn. After this act President Garfield returned to the Senate the list of appointees that he had withdrawn, most of whom, under the changed. condition of affairs, declined the nomination.

The extra session of the Senate was brought to a close on Friday, May 20.

"STALWARTS" AND "HALF-BREEDS."

The resignation of the New York Senators gave the democrats control of the national Senate, but they did not think it wise to take advantage of their unexpected and temporary opportunity. The New York legislature was in session, and elections for filling the vacancies soon followed. Over these there was a contest which widened the breach in the republican party more than ever. One wing being called "stalwarts," and the other "half-breeds," the name given by Conkling to independents. Balloting began in the New York legislature for successors to Senators Conkling and Platt on the 31st of May. The majority of the republicans were independents or "half-breeds," and supported Chauncey M. Depew as the successor of Platt, and William A. Wheeler as the successor of Conkling. The former for the long term, the latter for the short term. A few of the independents supported Cornell. The "stalwarts" were in the minority and they renominated the Senators who had resigned, with a view of vindicating their action. The nominee of the democrats for the long term was Francis Kernan, and for the short term, John C. Jacobs. The latter having withdrawn, Clarkson N. Potter was nominated in his stead. The contest was brought to a close on the 22d of July by a compromise which secured the election of Warren A. Miller and Elbridge G. Lapham as successors to Platt and Conkling. This heated