CHURCHILL, Winston S.

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Typed letter signed, warning a politician against breaking ranks. Churchill writes ahead of the November 1922 election to his fellow candidate, warning against splitting their ballot: "it is a very great mistake for the two Liberal candidates to run separate candidatures". The election followed the collapse of the Liberal-Conservative coalition government, in which Churchill had served as Colonial Secretary. Churchill and the recipient, the prominent engineer David Johnstone MacDonald (1857-1940), were standing as National Liberals for Dundee, which returned two members to Parliament. Despite the alliance's breakdown, Churchill urged National Liberals and Conservatives to present a united bulwark against socialism. On 28 October, Churchill published a letter in The Times appealing to Conservative supporters in Dundee to vote for him. MacDonald feared this defied party policy and would weaken their vote; he informed Churchill that he intended to campaign more vigorously on his own platform, in line with national policy and separately from Churchill.Churchill was then bedridden with appendicitis. He writes that running on separate platforms would be a grave error. "It will certainly give rise to doubt and suspicion as the contest proceeds. Rivalries will grow up and you will find some of my ardent supporters saying you are trying to steal a march on me while I am on my back". He claims, "I do not care a row of buttons whether you or I head the poll, but I think it is a very gre

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