. ▁Arthur ▁administration , ▁the ▁P end leton ▁Act ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁President ▁James ▁Gar field ' s ▁assass ination ▁by ▁a ▁disappoint ed ▁office ▁see ker . ▁ ▁The ▁Act ▁was ▁passed ▁into ▁law ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 3 ; ▁it ▁was ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Democratic ▁Senator ▁George ▁H . ▁P end leton ▁of ▁Ohio . ▁It ▁was ▁draft ed ▁by ▁D orm an ▁Br id g man ▁E aton , ▁a ▁leading ▁reform er ▁who ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Civil ▁Service ▁Commission . ▁ ▁Its ▁most ▁famous ▁commission er ▁was ▁The odore ▁Ro ose vel t ▁( 1 8 8 9 – 9 5 ). ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁law ▁prohib ited ▁mand atory ▁campaign ▁contributions , ▁or ▁" ass ess ments ", ▁which ▁amount ed ▁to ▁ 5 0 – 7 5 % ▁of ▁party ▁finan cing ▁in ▁the ▁G ild ed ▁Age . ▁Second , ▁the ▁P end leton ▁Act ▁required ▁entrance ▁ex ams ▁for ▁asp iring ▁b ureau cr ats . ▁At ▁first ▁it ▁covered ▁very ▁few ▁jobs ▁but ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁r atch et ▁provision ▁where by ▁out going ▁pres idents ▁could ▁lock ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁app o inte es ▁by ▁converting ▁their ▁jobs ▁to ▁civil ▁service . ▁Political ▁reform ers , ▁typ ified ▁by ▁the ▁M ug w umps ▁demanded ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁spo ils ▁system . ▁After ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁party ▁revers als ▁at ▁the ▁president ial ▁level ▁( in ▁ 1 8 8 4