***(Editor’s Note: Leading up to Inauguration Day on January 20th, “The Thirsty Quill” is publishing a series entitled “Ranking The Presidents.” There is no ‘exact science’ to these rankings other than personal opinion based on such factors as policy, performance, popularity, perseverance, integrity, and legacy. Aside from those Presidents ranked in the top 25% and the bottom 25%, there is a great deal of ‘wiggle room’ for discretionary placement and movement. These rankings are strictly the personal opinion of the Editor of ‘The Quill,’ and should not be regarded as an academic survey of any type. Debate of these rankings is highly encouraged and appreciated.)*** 

#31: Chester Arthur (1881-1885)

Chester Arthur took over when James Garfield died due to wounds he received in an assassination attempt less than four months after taking office. Arthur finished Garfield’s term, but was not able to gain the re-nomination of the Republican Party, the party of which he had long been revered as a leader. Yet, he ascended to the Chief Executive position with what many considered to be very limited political experience.

Most historians often note that he was perhaps one of the unhappiest Presidents in American history. Sadly, Arthur’s wife Nell died only months before he won the Vice-Presidency, and he was still deeply traumatized with grief when Garfield passed away…leaving the role of President solely in the lap of a grieving man. Arthur also suffered from a terminal condition known as Bright’s Disease (a fatal illness that attacks the kidneys). These two areas of his life left him empty, and no doubt had a profound impact on his ability to lead.

As President, Arthur accomplished very little. He was a firm believer in the old “Spoils System,” but that was not surprising for a politician in the 1880s. He championed the Civil Service System, and ultimately made a great deal of headway (and sometimes frustration) through tariff reduction and legislation. The Arthur administration was also influential in the establishment of our modern Navy.

After he failed to regain nomination in 1884, Arthur finished out the term rather quietly. He died several months after leaving office. 

Notable Quotations: “I may be President of the United States, but my private life is nobody’s damn business.”

“If it were not for the reporters, I would tell you the truth.”

#31: Chester Arthur

#30: Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

We’ve reached the oddly positioned President who displaced Grover Cleveland for a single term, as Cleveland’s eight years in office were interrupted by the ‘hiccup’ that was Benjamin Harrison. Harrison had a proud ancestry, as his namesake was a signer of the Declaration of Independence from Virginia. Furthermore, his grandfather was William Henry Harrison, the 9^th President of the United States. Benjamin was from Ohio, and was a renowned Union General during the Civil War who helped capture Atlanta in 1864.

In a tightly-contested election, Harrison lost the popular vote but won the all-important Electoral College. He oversaw the first Congress in American history to spend more than $1 Billion. Harrison’s accomplishments were few, but like the others mentioned in this section, they did have some deal of significance. I rank him with Arthur, as he also helped modernize our Navy by acquiring naval bases in the Pacific and Caribbean, and tariffs were near the top of his agenda from day one. Like Taylor (below), Harrison was instrumental in securing control of a Central American canal for the United States.

While running for reelection in a rematch against Cleveland, Harrison’s wife Caroline died, thus darkening his motivation to retain the Presidency. 

Notable Quotations: “I want it understood that I am the grandson of nobody. I believe that every man should stand on his own merits.”

“Unlike many other people less happy, we give our devotion to a government, to its Constitution, to its flag, and not to men.”

“Public opinion is the most potent monarch this world knows.”

“Great lives do not go out. They go on.”

#30: Benjamin Harrison

#29: Zachary Taylor (March 1849-July 1850)

Nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready,” Taylor ranks decently on my list, despite being President for only a little more than 16 months. Surprisingly, the Office of the President was the only public position Taylor ever held. Taylor ascended to national recognition through the reputation he had made during his 40-year military career, most notably during the Mexican War.

While his time in office was short, Taylor accomplished several things that were quite important during the period, or would hold a great deal of significance some years later. Among these was his persistence to halt the expansion of slavery into new territories and states. He did so despite being a slave owner himself at one time. Taylor stood firmly against secession, and many experts believe that his influence may have delayed the Civil War.

He was also a proponent of admitting several new states to the Union. California, Utah, and New Mexico were among these, and Taylor was hailed as a bi-partisan President when he stood up to Southern opposition to the new territories’ anti-Slavery constitutions. The Compromise of 1850 helped defuse a potentially deadly crisis…or perhaps it just delayed the inevitable.

Although there were not a great number of foreign policy achievements under Taylor, he did secure the right for America to build a canal in Central America. This marked a dramatic shift in relations with the region, and bolstered America’s push for expansion and global influence.

The events surrounding Zachary Taylor’s death remain a mystery. After attending a ceremony marking the laying of the cornerstone for the Washington Monument on July 4^th, Taylor snacked on ice water, cherries, and milk. He fell ill, and died five days later on July 9th, 1850. While doctors claimed that he died due to either acute gastroenteritis or cholera, many skeptics have long held the belief that he may have been poisoned by political rivals, as sectional tensions grew throughout the country. 

Notable Quotations: “If I occupy the White House, I must be unpledged, so as to be President of the nation and not of a party.”

“I will not make myself unhappy at what I cannot prevent, nor give up the Constitution or abandon it because a rent has been made in it, but will stick by and repair it, and nurse it as long as it will hang together.”

#29: Zachary Taylor

PRESIDENTIAL RANKINGS SO FAR: 

#29: Zachary Taylor

#30: Benjamin Harrison

#31: Chester Arthur

#32: Jimmy Carter

#33: John Tyler

#34: Ulysses S. Grant

#35: Millard Fillmore

#36: Franklin Pierce

#37: James Buchanan

#38: Richard Nixon

#39: Bill Clinton

#40: Warren Harding

#41: Andrew Johnson

#42*: James Garfield

#43*: William Henry Harrison