Final answer:
The Stalwarts were a Republican faction known for their strong support of the spoils system, a system of awarding government jobs based on political allegiance rather than merit.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Stalwarts were a faction within the Republican Party in the late 19th century that strongly supported the continuation of the spoils system. This system involved awarding political supporters with government jobs. In contrast, they were opposed to civil service reform, which sought to establish merit-based appointments. President Rutherford B. Hayes faced opposition from the Stalwarts, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, due to his appeals for civil service reform. The divide within the party was further exemplified when President Chester Arthur, who had been aligned with the Stalwarts, surprisingly enacted the Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883, which established a merit-based system for civil service appointments. Therefore, the Stalwarts were strong supporters of the spoils system (Answer: C). They were not known for specific positions regarding tariffs; those positions were more typical of the protectionist wings of both political parties at different times, which either supported high tariffs for protectionist reasons or low tariffs for free trade reasons.