Page "Acting President of the United States" Paragraph 18

* During the summer of 1881, after the July 2 shooting of President James A. Garfield by Charles J. Guiteau.

Though Garfield lived 80 days after the shooting, he spent most of this time heavily sedated and was incapable of discharging presidential duties.

Despite a widespread belief that Vice President Chester A. Arthur was a puppet of the Stalwart factions of the Republican Party, and particularly New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, Garfield's cabinet at least informally discussed scenarios under which Arthur could act as President.

Again, however, there being no apparatus in place and no precedent, nothing came of it.