Garfield survives

Alright, we all know that the death of James Garfield was a near thing. The doctors didn't sterilize their hands before probing around his body. The navy surgeon ruptured his liver. Alexander Graham Bell invented a metal detector to find the bullet. Unfortunately, Garfield was laying on one of the few beds with metal springs in the country, so what they thought was the bullet burried deeper than anyone expected was one of springs. The bullet was actually lodged near his spine in a protective cyst. Garfield, instead of recovering like he likely would have, died a long and painful death.

So, lets propose that he survives. Maybe Garfield's wife had just read an article on sterilization and insisted that the doctors clean their hands before probing her husband. Maybe the naval surgeon doesn't rupture the liver. Maybe he gets better doctors. Maybe Garfield isn't laying on a bed with a metal frame, and Bell located the bullet correctly. Maybe Garfield, who never even lost conciousness throughout the ordeal, simply orders the doctors to leave him alone.

Garfield recovers, much to the relief of the nation. It turns out to be a very good PR incident in the end. Charles Guiteau still puts on an entertaining trial for everyone (the man was crazy, often conducting his own defence in epic poems) and gets himself executed. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is still passed, ending the spoils system of American politics.
 
Odie and Nermal are much happier. :p

Seriously, Garfield surviving could seriously delay civil service reform. Even though his assassin was crazy as a loon, no one was terribly surprised that he considered himself qualified for a spoils-system job and was willing to kill for it. The result was the Pendleton Act of 1883.
 
So, maybe Garfield serves two terms, delaying or aborting a Cleveland presidency?

The problem with Garfield is that he lived for so little of his presidency.
 
Tom Veil said:
Odie and Nermal are much happier. :p

Seriously, Garfield surviving could seriously delay civil service reform. Even though his assassin was crazy as a loon, no one was terribly surprised that he considered himself qualified for a spoils-system job and was willing to kill for it. The result was the Pendleton Act of 1883.
I mentioned the Pendleton act in my post. I figure an attempted assassination would still prompt some change. Especially since in OTL, by the time that the Pendleton act was passed, it was already known that it was the doctors' fault that Garfield died.
 
What if Garfield had not been shot?

I think a better way to pose this question would be, "What if President Garfield had not been shot?"

I think the answer is that it would have delayed Civil Service reform. There would have been no Pendleton Act. Eventually Civil Service reform would have come, but much later.

Since the man who shot President Garfield was a disgruntled office seeker, I don't think it would have mattered whether Garfield survived his gunshot wounds or not. Even if Garfield had survived, his having been shot by a disgruntled office seeker would have still brought about the Pendleton Act and Civil Service reform.

It wasn't that President Garfield died, it was the fact he was shot by a disgruntled office seeker that brought Civil Service reform. Though, if Garfield had lived it would be interesting to see how as President he personally would have worked to bring about that reform.
 
The Mists Of Time said:
Since the man who shot President Garfield was a disgruntled office seeker, I don't think it would have mattered whether Garfield survived his gunshot wounds or not. Even if Garfield had survived, his having been shot by a disgruntled office seeker would have still brought about the Pendleton Act and Civil Service reform.
Which is exactly why I want him to be shot, but survive.
 
Potential list of Presidents to 1900?

James Garfield R 1881-1889
David B. Hill D 1889-1897
William McKinley R 1897-19XX
 
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