The Project Gutenberg EBook of Coniston, Book I., by Winston Churchill

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Title: Coniston, Book I.

Author: Winston Churchill

Release Date: October 17, 2004 [EBook #3762]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CONISTON, BOOK I. ***

Produced by Pat Castevans and David Widger

CONISTON

By Winston Churchill

"We have been compelled to see what was weak in democracy as well as
what was strong. We have begun obscurely to recognize that things
do not go of themselves, and that popular government is not in
itself a panacea, is no better than any other form except as the
virtue and wisdom of the people make it so, and that when men
undertake to do their own kingship, they enter upon, the dangers and
responsibilities as well as the privileges of the function. Above
all, it looks as if we were on the way to be persuaded that no
government can be carried on by declamation."

--JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.

BOOK I

CHAPTER I

First I am to write a love-story of long ago, of a time some little while
after General Jackson had got into the White House and had shown the
world what a real democracy was. The Era of the first six Presidents had
closed, and a new Era had begun. I am speaking of political Eras. Certain
gentlemen, with a pious belief in democracy, but with a firmer
determination to get on top, arose,--and got in top. So many of these
gentlemen arose in the different states, and they were so clever, and
they found so many chinks in the Constitution to crawl through and steal
the people's chestnuts, that the Era may be called the Boss-Era. After
the Boss came along certain Things without souls, but of many minds, and
found more chinks in the Constitution: bigger chinks, for the Things were
bigger, and they stole more chestnuts. But I am getting far ahead of my
love-story--and of my book.

The reader is warned that this first love-story will, in a few chapters,
come to an end: and not to a happy end--otherwise there would be no book.
Lest he should throw the book away when he arrives at this page, it is
only fair to tell him that there is another