Richard Hayes: Civil Service Reform

Along with leading the country through the end of reconstruction, Hayes fought for civil service reforms in order to combat corruption in the federal government. In the short term, this effort to create domestic change wasn’t a success, but resulted in regaining the presidential power of appointment, and was the primary factor in the passage of the Pendleton Service Act of 1883. Given that Hayes succeeded Grant whose presidency was filled with fraudulent activities involving his cabinet, the push for employing competent members to positions of power presented itself as vital. Hayes pressed to replace the spoils system used since the Jackson presidency that awarded jobs to political supporters, with civil service reforms that would award jobs …show more content…
Fighting back the republican resistance, Hayes took aim at the New York Customhouse, and tried to replace its collector Chester Arthur with Theodore Roosevelt Sr, but Conkling fought back arguing “senatorial courtesy”. Hayes emerged victorious and he required a civil service exam to be administered at the New York Customhouse as well as preventing senators from controlling appointments, although they could suggest candidates. Hayes’s fight to decrease corruption in the New York Customhouse and take on Conkling’s political machine was just one way that Hayes impacted the country in a positive way. Even though this successful push for civil service reform only impacted the New York Customhouse, this was a springboard for greater civil service reforms, particularly the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 that was passed two years after Hayes’s presidency. Although he was not in power to see proper legislation through, the beginning effort to decrease corruption in government was conceived under his