or having an exquisite taste for fine food, and for socializing with the most suave and cultivated associates. Disgusted with the shabby look of the White House, he hired Louis Comfort Tiffany, the most fashionable designer in New York City, to completely refurbish the executive mansion into a showplace residence befitting the office. The price tag, funded by Congress, exceeded $30,000, $2 million in today's value.Although domestic affairs dominated the Arthur administration, his presidency is remembered for having taken the crucial first steps in building a modern navy. Known as the "Father of the Steel Navy," Arthur supported the construction of steam-powered steel cruisers, steel rams, and steel-clad gun boats. He also moved decisively to curb corruption and incompetency in the naval shipyards.His secretary of state, James G. Blaine, a holdover from the Garfield administration, pushed for more direct U.S. involvement in Latin America. Blaine advocated the construction of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama and negotiated a treaty with Nicaragua ceding a stretch of land to the U.S. for construction of the waterway. However, Congress refused to ratify this treaty with Nicaragua because the agreement violated an existing treaty with Great Britain; President Grover Cleveland, Arthur's successor, later withdrew the treaty. Most importantly, Arthur, after Blaine's departure from his cabinet, negotiated a reciprocal treaties with Mexico, Spain and the British West Indies which met significant opposition from special interest Republicans as well as Democrats in the Senate. These treaties placed Arthur at odds with protectionist interests in the Republican Party, and were among the reasons why he failed to gain the support of party leaders for a second term. As Arthur's term in office came to a close, he made little effort to seek the nomination for a second term because he knew that he was seriously ill with Bright's disease. However he did...
