The act to regulate and improve the
civil service of the United States was approved by President Arthur, and
he put into operation rules and regulations wide in their scope and
far-reaching for the enforcement of the measure. In his papers will be
found frequent and interesting discussions of this question. His vetoes
of "An act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese"
and of "An act making appropriations for the construction, repair, and
preservation of certain works on rivers and harbors, and for other
purposes," are interesting and effective papers.
The latter half of the period comprised in this volume, as already
stated, covers the Administration of Cleveland. His accession to the
Presidency marked the return of the Democratic party to power. No
Democrat who had been chosen by his party had held the office since the
retirement of Buchanan, in 1861. President Cleveland's papers fill 558
pages of this volume, occupying more space than any other Chief
Magistrate, Andrew Johnson being next with 457 pages. At an early date
after Mr. Cleveland's inauguration he became involved in an important
and rather acrimonious discussion with the Senate on the subject of
suspensions from office. The Senate demanded of him and of the heads of
some of the Executive Departments the reasons for the suspension of
certain officials and the papers and correspondence incident thereto. In
an exhaustive and interesting paper he declined to comply with the
demand.
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