Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 16 - From Marx to Mao

158V. I. LENINParty. On the contrary, they are being called back to theParty on the definitely expressed condition that they breakwith liquidationism (i.e., legalism at all costs) and comeover to the Party standpoint, to the “Party way of life”. TheCentral Committee’s letter on the conference, this officialcommentary on the resolutions of the plenum, one whichis absolutely binding on the Party, says with the utmostclarity that it is the illegal organisations* that must judgewhether the legalists are in actual fact pro-Party, i.e., itspecifically rejects the “theory of equality”!By a specific decision of the plenum this letter of theCentral Committee was drawn up by a special committeeconsisting of Comrades Grigory, 79 Innokenty 80 and Martov.The letter was endorsed unanimously by the whole of thiscommittee. Now Comrade Martov, as if inspired by someevil spirit, performs a volte-face, writes an article whollyimbued with a directly opposite theory, and in additioncomplains, as if in mockery of the Party, when this articleis declared controversial!It is quite obvious that this theory of equality, which isexpressed in all the other articles of Golos still more sharplyand crudely than in the case of Martov, leads in fact to theParty being subordinated to the liquidators, for the legalistwho sets himself against the illegal Party, considering himselfon a par with it, is nothing but a liquidator. The “equality”between an illegal Social-Democrat who is persecutedby the police and a legalist who is safeguarded by his legalityand his divorce from the Party is in fact the “equality”between the worker and the capitalist.All this is so apparent, Golos’s contemptuous treatment ofthe decision of the plenum and of the explanation of thisdecision in the Central Committee’s letter is so obvious,that Martov’s article can only be called one that points* See No. 11 of the Central Organ, pp. 11-12: “Only the local organisationscan ensure that this additional representation is extendedsolely to real (the “Letter’s” italics) pro-Party elements; our localworkers will judge not only by the words of these leaders of the legalmovement, but also by their deeds, and will exert every effort so thatonly those are drawn in who in essence are even now part of our Party,who wish to join our Party organisation in order really to work init, to strengthen it, to subordinate themselves to it and serve it”, etc.