On September 20, in 1881, Vice President Chester Alan Arthur was sworn in as the 21st President of the United States, after the death of James A. Garfield the previous day.
Garfield had cut an impressive figure in mid-century politics and was surely one of the smartest men to inhabit the office — if so briefly, having been sworn on March 4th. He was also a reformer. His successor, Arthur, was the very opposite . . . as was his assassin, Charles Julius Guiteau, who shot him on July 2nd. Indeed, Guiteau’s words upon shooting the president troubled more than one faction in American politics: “I did it. I will go to jail for it. I am a Stalwart and Arthur will be President.”
Guiteau was executed, rather than jailed for life. Chester Arthur went on to end the spoil system, but did appoint his old Stalwart patron, Roscoe Conkling, to the Supreme Court: the Senate confirmed the appointment, but Conkling declined the nomination.