Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/151

ARTHUR.ARTHUR. steamships under the American flag; and the subject of coast defences was repeatedly brought to the attention of Congress, an annual appropriation of $1,500,000 being recommended for the armament of fortifications.

In his last annual message President Arthur urged the appropriation of $60,000,000 to be expended during the next ten years, one-tenth annually, for coast defences, and his plans, considerably enlarged, were taken up and carried out by the succeeding administration. He vetoed a river and harbor bill appropriating $18,743,875, on the ground that the sum greatly exceeded the needs of the country; that the distribution was unequal and for the benefit of particular locations. The bill was passed over his veto. He also vetoed the bill passed July 2, 1884, restoring to the army and place on the retired list, Major-General Fitz John Porter, then under sentence of court-martial. This veto was also overruled. Important reforms were instituted in the navy, the number of officers was reduced, habitual drunkards were discharged, the repair of old wooden vessels was discontinued, and the construction of a new fleet of steel ships with modern armaments was begun, under an advisory board appointed for that purpose. During his administration the postal rates were considerably reduced and many improvements were initiated in the general mail service. President Arthur appointed Horace Gray of Massachusetts to the vacancy on the bench of the United States supreme court, caused by the death of Justice Clifford of Maine, and he was commissioned Dec. 20, 1881. On the retirement of Justice Hunt of New York, Roscoe Conkling was appointed to the U. S. supreme bench, Feb. 24, 1882, and the appointment confirmed, but he declined the office on March 3, 1882, and Samuel Blatchford of New York was appointed and confirmed March 23, 1882. In his annual message of 1884, President Arthur recommended a suitable pension to General Grant, and upon the refusal of the general to accept any pension whatever, he by special message, Feb. 3, 1885, urged upon Congress the creation of the office of general of the army on the retired list. The bill was passed March 3, 1885, and on its passage the President named to the office Ulysses S. Grant, and the nomination was confirmed the same day in open senate, amid the demonstrations of approval of a crowded chamber. When the Republican national convention met at Chicago, June 3, 1884, President Arthur's name was presented by the delegations from New York, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, North Carolina and Louisiana. On the first ballot he received the votes of 278 delegates, on the second 276, on the third 274, and on the fourth 207, a plurality of votes nominating James G. Blaine. He at once telegraphed to the successful candidate his congratulations and assurance of his earnest and candid support. The national convention endorsed the administration of President Arthur as "wise, conservative and patriotic — under which the country has been blessed with remarkable prosperity."

The President, as the guest of the citizens of Boston, attended the celebration of the Webster historical society, and made an address in Faneuil Hall, Oct. 11, 1882, and at Marshfield, October 13. At Louisville, Ky., Aug. 2, 1883, he opened the Southern exposition with an address, and at the opening of the New Orleans World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial exposition, he performed the function by telegraph from the national capitol, transmitting his address and starting the machinery by the electric current. On Sept. 25, 1883, he was present at the ceremonies of unveiling and dedicating the Burnside monument at Bristol, R. I., and on November 26 of the same year attended a similar ceremony in New York city, when Washington's statue was first disclosed to public view on the steps of the U. S. sub-treasury building in Wall street. His last official public address was made at the dedication of the Washington monument in Washington city, which was completed during his administration. Mr. Arthur was married Oct. 29, 1859, to Ellen Lewis, daughter of William Lewis Herndon, commodore in the U. S. navy. She died Jan. 12, 1880, leaving two children, Chester Alan and Ellen Herndon. While President, Mr. Arthur's sister, Mrs. Mary Arthur McElroy, presided over the White House, and the elegance of her hospitality was a marked characteristic of his administration. At the close of his official term, March 4, 1885, Mr. Arthur returned to his home in New York city, where he died suddenly of apoplexy. His funeral was attended by those who had been members of his cabinet, by President Cleveland, Chief Justice Waite, Ex-President Hayes, Generals Sherman, Sheridan, and Schofield, and James G. Blaine. He was buried in the Rural cemetery, Albany, N. Y. The date of President Arthur's death is Nov. 18, 1886. ARTHUR, Peter M., labor leader, was born in Scotland, about 1831. He came to America when a lad, and learned the blacksmith's and machinist's trades. He served his entire apprenticeship on the New York Central railroad and was one of the prime movers in the organization of the brotherhood of locomotive engineers in 1863. He was elected grand chief and engineer of the organization in 1876. The brotherhood has for its motto: "Sobriety, Truth, Justice and Morality," and its policy is to oppose strikes. It had in 1895 upward of thirty thousand members and four hundred and eighty-five subdivisions, embracing every railroad in the United States and