Political appointments in the United States federal government until 1883. In 1820 Congress limited federal administrators to four-year terms, which led to constant turnover; by the 1860s and the Civil War, patronage had led to widespread inefficiency and political corruption. Although it used to be confined to cabinet positions, department heads, and foreign ambassadorships, by the 1860s patronage had spread to low-level government positions. This meant that when the incumbent political party lost a presidential election, the federal government underwent wholesale turnover. On July 2, 1881, Charles J. Guiteau, a disaffected and mentally unstable political office seeker, assassinated President James Garfield. This highlighted how much the
1881 Christchurch mayoral election 21 December 1881. After his one-year term, he was re-elected mayor unopposed. He retired after two terms and stood in the 1884 general election in the Stanmore electorate but was unsuccessful. Ruddenklau died in 1891. Taylor and his family left New Zealand in 1884 and settled in Oakland, California. 1881 Christchurch mayoral election The Christchurch mayoral election held on 30 November 1881 was contested by German-born baker, hotel proprietor and businessman George Ruddenklau, and businessman Charles Taylor. The election was won by Ruddenklau with a small margin. The election was set for 30 November 1881. At the beginning of September