Chester Alan Arthur Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st president of the United States who gained the presidency when President James A. Garfield was assassinated. Arthur rose above loyalty to his political party to enact the first comprehensive U.S. civil service legislation. The act signaled a new era of reform in national politics, but lost Arthur the support of his party, and after completing Garfield's term he was forced to retire from public life.…showed first 75 words of 1628 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1628 total…George F. Edmunds of Vermont. Arthur polled only 207 votes against Blaine's decisive majority of 541. In the general election, Blaine lost to Cleveland, the Democratic candidate. Near the end of Arthur's term an effort to have the New York legislature elect him to the Senate also failed.After turning over the White House to Grover Cleveland on March 4, 1885, Arthur again resumed his law practice in New York City. Shortly afterward he became ill and died in 1886.