Many know of President Arthur's work on civil service reform. Less known is that he also sought to change his party's position on the use of tariffs.

He had been a customs official, the nation's highest. In that job he learned to work with businessmen and merchants. When he became President, he turned his attetnion on the high taxes on imports of his day. As a 19th century Republican this was near heresy. His effort was only partially successful, but it would stoke discussion on tariff reform for the next half century.

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