Six Men and Four Bullets: How Reaction to the Motives of Two Presidential Assassinations Shaped the Arthur and Roosevelt Presidencies

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Six Men and Four BulletsHow Reaction to the
Motives of Two Presidential AssassinationsShaped
the Arthur and Roosevelt Presidencies
James R. Rickard
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Guiteau
Arthur
Garfield
McKinley
Czolgosz
Roosevelt
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A Comparison

• A Talk with Thurlow Weed. What He Thinks of
  Guiteau--Hoping That Arthur Will Not Become
  President. New York Times, Jul 4, 1881, 2.
• Mr. Woodruff's View. If Mr. Roosevelt Is Called
  to Higher Post, the Country Will Prosper. New
  York Times, Sep 7, 1901, 3.

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Chester Alan Arthur
Born in Fairfield, Vermont in 1829 Graduated
from Union College in 1848 and passed the bar in
1854 Served as a quartermaster general for the
state of New York during the Civil War Appointed
to be the Collector of the Port of New York in
1871 by President Grant Fired from the position
in 1878 by President Hayes Elected
vice-president in 1880
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The Political Landscape of 1881

• Patronage an unsolvable problem?
• Republicans Stalwarts and Half-Breeds at the
  Convention
• Roscoe Conkling vs. James G. Blaine
• Garfield and Arthur defeat the Democrats in a
  narrow election
• Garfield succeeds in appointing a Half-Breed to
  the Collectorship of New York
• Blaine resigns in protest, and Arthur denounces
  Garfield
• Mr. Arthur's Turn to Resign. - Washington Post,
  June 2, 1881, 2.

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Washington 1881
I did it and will go to jail for it. I am a
Stalwart, and Arthur will be President. -
Charles J. Guiteau
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New York Times July 3, 1881
The Possible Motives of Charles J. Guiteau
The President of the United States attacked and
terribly wounded by a fanatical office seeker on
the eve of Independence Day - the nation
horrified and the whole world shocked - the
President still alive and his recovery
possible. At one time, while Secretary Blaine
was sitting at his bedside, the President,
turning his head said Blaine, what motive do
you think that man could have in trying to
assassinated me? To which Mr. Blaine replied
I do not know Mr. President. He says he has no
motive. He must be insane. To this the
President smilingly answered I suppose he
thought it would be glorious thing to emulate a
pirate chief. I am a Stalwart, and Arthur
will be President.
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The Race for Definition

• Arthur and the Stalwarts Insanity
• The assassination is simply the bravado of an
  insane man and it is an act with no political
  significance.
• The National Republican, July 3, 1881
• Arthurs Opponents Arthur-Elevation
• Was There a Conspiracy? A Theory Which Finds
  Many Believers - Guiteau Not Irresponsibly
  Insane.
• New York Times, July 3, 1881
• Civil Service Reformers Appointment-Denial
• The President had been shot by an office-seeker
  He was no more crazy for an appointment than
  hundreds of others
• New York Times, July 11, 1881

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Assassin and Motive Aftermath

• Guiteau was found guilty and hanged on June 30,
  1882.
• Civil Service Reform was enacted in the Pendleton
  Act of 1883.

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Presidential Aftermath
Arthur faces the Robertson situation. In the
1882 midterm elections, Republicans went from
having 22 more House seats then the Democrats to
having 81 seats less then them. Civil Service
Reform terminates Arthurs base of
support. Arthur loses to Blaine on the fourth
ballot at the 1884 Republican convention. Overal
l, Arthur conducted a responsible, if
undistinguished (and unimportant),
presidency. Bernard Weisberger
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Theodore Roosevelt
Born in New York City in 1858 Graduated from
Harvard University in 1880 and was elected
Assemblyman Served as a Civil Service
Commissioner under President Harrison Served in
President McKinleys Department of Navy, and Led
Roosevelts Rough Riders in Spanish American
War of 1898 Elected Governor of New York in
1898 Elected vice-president in 1900
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The Political Landscape of 1901

• Anarchism an unsolvable problem?
• The United States under President McKinley has
  defeated Spain and taken possession of its
  Caribbean and Pacific colonies
• In 1899, Vice President Garret Hobart died in
  office.
• New York Boss Thomas Platt, tired of Governor
  Theodore Roosevelt, maneuvers to place him on the
  Republican ticket
• McKinley and Roosevelt defeat the Democrats with
  a clear victory
• In September, McKinley gives a foreign-policy
  speech at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo,
  New York

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Buffalo 1901
I done my duty. - Leon Czolgosz
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New York Times September 7, 1881
The Possible Motives of Leon Czolgosz
With all American citizens, I am greatly shocked
at this news. I cannot conceive of a motive. It
must have been the act of a crazy man. -
Former President Grover Cleveland President
Shot at Buffalo Fair Wounded in the Breast and
Abdomen. He Is Resting Easily One Bullet
Extracted, Other Cannot Be Found. Assassin Is
Leon Czolgosz of Cleveland, Who Says He Is an
Anarchist and Follower of Emma Goldman
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The Race for Definition

• Roosevelt Insanity
• His motive was not on power, not on wealth he
  was a crazyfool.
• Roosevelts Letter to Henry Cabot Lodge
• Roosevelt Anarchism
• This criminal was a professed anarchist,
  inflamed by the teachings of professed
  anarchists. The blow was aimed not at this
  president, but at all presidents at every symbol
  of government.
• Roosevelts First Annual Message as President

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Assassin and Motive Aftermath

• Czolgosz was found guilty and electrocuted on
  October 29, 1901.
• Congress passed An Act to Regulate the
  Immigration of Aliens into the United States in
  March of 1903.

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Presidential Aftermath
Theodore Roosevelt wages an aggressive war
against anarchism. Republicans win nine House
seats in midterm elections of 1902. Roosevelt
re-elected in 1904 with 56.4 of the popular
vote, the largest electoral victory up to that
time
While President I have been President,
emphatically I have used every ounce of power
there was in the office and I have not cared a
rap for the criticisms of those who spoke of my
usurpation of power for I knew that the talk
was all nonsense and that there was no
usurpation. - Theodore Roosevelt
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• The End