Stalwart (politics)

The "Stalwarts" were a faction of the United States Republican Party toward the end of the 19th century.

Led by Roscoe Conkling—also known as "Lord Roscoe"—Stalwarts were sometimes called Conklingites. Other notable Stalwarts include Chester A. Arthur and Thomas C. Platt, who were in favor of Ulysses S. Grant, the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877), running for a third term. They were the "traditional" Republicans who opposed Rutherford B. Hayes' civil service reform. They were pitted against the "Half-Breeds" (moderates) for control of the Republican Party. The only real issue between Stalwarts and Half-Breeds was patronage. The Half-Breeds worked to get civil service reform, and finally created the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. Stalwarts favored traditional machine politics.

During the Republican national convention in 1880, the Half-Breeds advocated the candidacy of James Blaine of Maine for President. A stalemate ensued between Half-breeds and Stalwarts, and a compromise was struck to nominate a decent, unabrasive man: James Garfield. Additionally, Chester Arthur, former collector for the port of New York, was chosen to be his running mate to satisfy the Stalwarts.

They won the election, and Arthur became president upon Garfield's death on September 19, 1881, from being shot by the self-proclaimed "Stalwart of the Stalwarts," Charles J. Guiteau, on July 2, 1881. Arthur helped to create civil service reforms in his term in part because he felt that he had to follow up Garfield's work.