The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-24

tne prospect which il opens up to capable man
Sand an aspiring mind includes the premiership
htself On the way to that seat of authority,
what powerful and profitable hating place is
tne secretaryship to the Treasury. And only
4hink what wealth an inscriptions Chancellor
sof the Exchequer might command in one short
Eyear of Office To man Of John Needham's
Eaudacity, the situation would have been full
of the most tremendous possibilities.
IN military warfare if man turn tro;tor he is
shot The field of politics allows much broad
er margin for the action of individual indepen
dence John Needham was shamefully untrue
TO the party that elected him to be its chief, and
the result was his advancement to the honorable
and high post of Lord of the Treasury. Had
he been successful in some other transgressions
against morality, his political treason would, in
all probability, have led him to the very highest
.place in the Queens government.
1t may be left to the philosophic analyst to
consider whether pure and righteous patriot at
the head of English affairs might not bring
about disasters as serious as those which would
be expected to follow the operations of an
Ecrupulous knave. Nevertheless the imagination
reels at the thought that John Needham might
have successfully filed the great Offices Of State
shat lead up to the premiership.
man of conspicuous ability, he could fairly
have looked forward to this post of honor and Of
power. The situation is full of temptations to
moralist. The author who worked out the pos
sibilites of Creation in the hands of Satan would
find plenty of material for speculation in the
possibilities of an English policy, foreign or
otherwise, with John Needham at Downing
street.
lit may be that after his first depredations,
which would have given him command of untold
Trealth, John Needham might have paused and
given his country chance. John Needham
above want, beyond the reach of financial
difficulty, might have developed higher phase
of character than it is the historians duty to
exhibit with the existing materials; for, so far
the facts concerned, John Needham, at
the time of his introduction to Office under
the administration of Lord Aberdeen, was a
swindler and thief; and the circumstances
an which he placed at later date might
have led even less desperate man to the COM
initial of the most serious crime known to the
aaw.
If the new Lord of the Treasury ever had
made his way to the Premiership be could
have been as rich as the wealthiest of the Roth
schilds, and he would; for in his appointment
he had already contemplated the next step on
the road to it. The Secretaryship of the Treas
ury would naturally come easily and soon to
a man of his ability The patronage and
emoluments of this office would have been
turned to quick and profitable account; and
think of the vast wealth that a Chancellor of
the Exchequer. operating directly or indirectly
in the city, could realize with simple stroke
of the PEN
Fortunately for the country, some of Mr.
Needham's commercial and financial undertake
ings began to be seriously troublesome to him
just when his political fortunes were most
smiling Indeed he was so pressed for funds,
almost Immediately after his appointment that
he commenced to traffic financially with his
official knowledge before he had properly
guarded his outposts from the active enemies
which his political treachery had created.
Financial reputation is sensitive plant. It
will shrivel even at a rumor; while the mere
suggestion of doubt upon the financial honesty
of member of the government would blight
the most fourishing career. You may say that
minister is politically dishonest; you may even
charge him with sacrificing the best interests of
humanity for the sake of Office; you may 60 so
far as to say that he is in league with the ene-
mics of his country in the furtherance of a
wicked and murderous foreign policy, and you
shall not hurt him; but say he has committed a
shady commercial transaction, show that he has
used his power to speculate in the funds, con-
Wet him of some money transaction that is not
consistent with his honor as minister of the
crown, and you hurl him from Office, and blast
his name forever.
Fate did not give Mr.. Needham time to grow
into a frst-cass ministerial fraud; it nipped him
in the veriest bud. A whisper from the Stock
Exchange killed his Treasury Lordship almost in
a day IAN intmation' to quote the careful
words of the journalistic chronicler, .from the
right honorable gentleman, who is responsible
for the Treasury business, backed by the APP
prevail of the noble Earl who led the Cabinet
that her Majesty would be greatly pleased to dis
pense with his further services, resulted in his
resignation"
Then began his downfall He had looked up
at the other heights in the range of his ambi-
ton with the confidence of the Alpine climber
who only sees in them new triumphs. But he
had reached the top of his mountain when the
spring sunshine gilded its apex on that May day
of our previous chapter. Henceforth the path
was downward, and far more perilous than the
ascent.
us it true that Needham has retiredY" asked
one city man of another,
Yes
What has gone wrongi"
His many other engagements, the absorbing
nature of his private occupations said the other
with cynical smile
And down went the shares in every company
with which he was prominently associated.
why has he resignedi' asked a politician at
the club
Because they have found him out" answered
his enemy, "as we did in Ireland Does man of
his character with the ball ut his feet throw nm