While Garfield was leaving Washington to attend the Fourth of July celebration at Williams College, he was shot by a half-crazy, disappointed office seeker. He lived until September. Few young people can now understand how the American people felt during this time. They learned to hate the "spoils system." Garfield's death sealed its fate. [Sidenote: =Civil service reform=] =177. Arthur Becomes President.= Chester A. Arthur was thought to be a "politician" merely, but he proved to be a good president. He began to build up a strong navy and started the movement for the reform of the civil service. Since the days of the Civil War, we had been too busy with affairs at home to think much about the need of a navy. But beginning with President Arthur's administration we have increased its size from time to time, until during the war with Spain, our people came to feel the navy's value. [Illustration: CHESTER A. ARTHUR _From a photograph by Sarony_] Under Arthur the spoils system received its first deadly blow when Congress passed and Arthur signed a bill establishing the merit system. By this system, men are appointed to office only after they have proved their fitness by an examination. Under it men cannot be turned out of office except for just cause. GROVER CLEVELAND [Sidenote: =Early life=] =178. A Man Who Was Twice President.= Grover Cleveland saw the light of day in the old state of New Jersey in 1837. While he was yet a boy his parents moved to central New York. Here he received a common school education. He was a good pupil and made friends with boys who loved honesty and fair play. His parents were poor and could not send him to college. He was always sorry for this and tried to make up for it by hard study. The lives of men great in history and literature were what he liked best to read. After going to Buffalo, young Cleveland entered upon the study of law. He studied long upon the fine points of the law. In time he became one of the ablest lawyers, not only in Buffalo, but in the State of New York. The fact that young Cleveland was chosen sheriff of Erie County shows that a great many people already looked upon him as a courageous man. [Illustration: GROVER CLEVELAND _From a photograph by Bell_] [Sidenote: =Lawyer, mayor, and governor=] When Buffalo needed a mayor who was not afraid to do his duty, the people elected this man who had been a good sheriff. The people of the State of New York wanted a man of the Cleveland type for governor. He carried the state by a great majority. He was a great governor as he had been a great mayor. He was honest and straightforward, and treated all men alike. Long before his time as governor was up, the people began to talk of him for president. [Sidenote: =Runs against Blaine=]