Hayes came into the presidency under a deal worked out that ended Reconstruction, and he fell short of realizing the reforms he had envisioned at the beginning of his term. Nevertheless, his principles and his successful use of the veto helped restore some of the power of the executive branch and began to heal the wounds inflicted on the country by the Civil War.
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With Rutherford Hayes declining to run for a second term, the Republication chose James A. Garfield as their candidate at the convention in 1880. Garfield defeated Winfield Hancock in the general election. Garfield had little time to leave his imprint on the issues of the day before he was cut down by an assassin's bullet.
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Chester Arthur came to the presidency upon the assassination of President Garfield. Himself a product of the infamous political machine controlled by New York boss Senator Roscoe Conkling, Arthur surprised everyone by supporting the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. Other issues during his presidency included the economy, and Chinese immigration.
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Grover Cleveland's meteoric rise in politics took him into the White House following the 1884 election, despite a sex scandal during the campaign. Cleveland believed strongly in a limited government and he exercised his philosophy over issues involving labor and the economy during his first administration. His position on the tariff contributed to his losing reelection to Benjamin Harrison in 1888, but he would be elected again to the presidency in 1892.
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