Scarce early ALS signed “Winston,” one page, 5 x 8, Oldham letterhead, September 30, 1900. Letter to his cousin Ivor Guest, written on the eve of the General Election wishing him luck. Guest was running for re-election in Plymouth. In full: “Just a line to wish you success tomorrow. I feel sure you will have held your own against attack. I cannot guess my fate here; but we shall in any case reduce the Radical Majority.” Central horizontal fold, light crease to upper right corner, small pencil notation to top left, and scattered moderate overall toning and foxing, otherwise very good condition.
Voters from the cotton-spinning center of Oldham ultimately elected him to Parliament in 1900. The race marked his first step into British political immortality as one of the great wartime leaders. Ironically, shortly after this introduction to the political scene, Churchill was rejected by his constituency after his opposition to the government’s military expenditure. Later allying himself with an opposition party, Churchill was named Under-Secretary of State. Although he had temporarily lost the support of some of his fellow citizens, that respect returned decades later as Churchill rallied the United Kingdom during World War II and the defeat of the Germans. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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