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James A. Garfield, 20th President of the US. His assassination ended the spoils system. What you would have asked him?
voted interesting: bunnyphuphu, jeffhoard, buddawiggi
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President Garfield was one of those odd ducks who seemed to be a walking contradiction. In some ways he was very much a champion of political reforms to keep the system honest (hence the Half-Breed status), but also dabbled in a fair amount of corruption throughout his career. So here's what I'm wondering of our 20th President...
Dear President Garfield,
Do you see the irony in that your kow-towing to Stalwarts via the selection of your Vice President indirectly led to your own assassination as a means to restore power to the Stalwarts? And therefore, do you regret your Vice Presidential nomination?
In the 1870s, with your high political ambitions, why did you participate in the Credit Mobilier payoffs? Although you skated on the charges, it could've just as easily blown up in your face, ending your political career (and it seems you were never short on money).
and of course...
If you had lived to finish out your first term as President, what 3 major tasks had you hoped to accomplish for the US?
Dear President Garfield,
Do you see the irony in that your kow-towing to Stalwarts via the selection of your Vice President indirectly led to your own assassination as a means to restore power to the Stalwarts? And therefore, do you regret your Vice Presidential nomination?
In the 1870s, with your high political ambitions, why did you participate in the Credit Mobilier payoffs? Although you skated on the charges, it could've just as easily blown up in your face, ending your political career (and it seems you were never short on money).
and of course...
If you had lived to finish out your first term as President, what 3 major tasks had you hoped to accomplish for the US?
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A good discussion, although I think that a people who had accepted slavery, child prostitution, manifest destiny, and were now moving toward Jim Crow would not have seen the spoils system as corruption.
I would love to know how he did this:
"Garfield was the first ambidextrous president. It was said that one could ask him a question in English and he could simultaneously write the answer in Latin with one hand, and Ancient Greek with the other"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_A._Garfield#Individual_distinctions
Ambidexterity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambidextrous
"Garfield was the first ambidextrous president. It was said that one could ask him a question in English and he could simultaneously write the answer in Latin with one hand, and Ancient Greek with the other"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_A._Garfield#Individual_distinctions
Ambidexterity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambidextrous
voted helpful: metalsand
With a background in languages President Garfield might be able to shed some intelligent ideas on the debate over weather or not English should be the official language of the United States.
tags: presidents
The question I would ask is.....
Would he forgive the person who shot and killed him?
Would he forgive the person who shot and killed him?
Thanks, I have seen people on news forgive people who tried to kill them, also have seen people who say they will never forgive that person.
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I contend that ethics really haven't changed so much - the same standards applied then that apply now. I believe that there is more transparency (through media and communication innovations) that causes more politicians to adhere to ethics than had in past centuries.
If CNN existed in the 1870s, I wager that either Garfield wouldn't have gone within an acre of the Credit Mobilier payoffs, OR he would've been finished for it.