the machine in about equal proportions. The President became more
amenable and the machine less arbitrary.

President Garfield attempted the impossible feat of obliging both
the politicians and the reformers. He was persuaded to make
nominations to federal offices in New York without consulting
either of the senators from that State, Conkling and Platt.
Conkling appealed to the Senate to reject the New York appointees
sent in by the President. The Senate failed to sustain him.
Conkling and his colleague Platt resigned from the Senate and
appealed to the New York legislature, which also refused to
sustain them.

While this absurd farce was going on, a more serious ferment was
brewing. On July 2, 1881, President Garfield was assassinated by
a disappointed office-seeker named Guiteau. The attention of the
people was suddenly turned from the ridiculous diversion of the
Conkling incident to the tragedy and its cause. They saw the
chief office in their gift a mere pawn in the game of
place-seekers, the time and energy of their President wasted in
bickerings with congressmen over petty appointments, and the
machinery of their Government dominated by the machinery of the
party for ignoble or selfish ends.

At last the advocates of reform found their opportunity. In 1883
the Civil Service Act was passed, taking from the President about
14,000 appointments. Since then nearly every President, towards
the end of his term, especially his second term, has added to the
numbers, until nearly two-thirds of the federal offices are now
filled by examination. President Cleveland during his second term