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

222V. I. LENINtionally hands over its property to third persons (from theinternational Social-Democratic movement) who will haveto decide whether this money should be given to the CentralCommittee or returned to the faction. The characterof this contract, which would be quite extraordinary andeven impossible in a normal, intact Party, shows clearly onwhat conditions the Bolsheviks accepted the agreement.The declaration of the Bolsheviks printed in the CentralOrgan No. 11, says clearly that the main ideological andpolitical condition was the passing of the resolution “condemningliquidationism and otzovism and recognising thefight against these trends to be an inalienable element ofFROM MARXTO MAOthe political line of the Party”, that one of the guaranteesfor the implementation of this line was the composition of⋆the Central Organ, and that a continuation of their factionalorgan and factional policy by the Mensheviks would givethe Bolsheviks the right to “demand their money backfrom the trustee”. The Central Committee accepted theseconditions, making direct reference to this declaration ofthe Bolsheviks in the resolution on the factional centres.The question is, are these conditions to be kept or not?Are these conditions formal or not? Comrade Yonov, speakingdisdainfully of “formalities” has not understood themost elementary distinction NOT FOR between the agreement asthe basis of a contract (= the condition that the Bolsheviksshould hand over their money, a condition endorsed by theunanimous resolutionCOMMERCIALof the Central Committee on factionalcentres) and the observance of the formal conditions of thecontract as the DISTRIBUTIONbasis for the preservation of unity.If Comrade Yonov, now, after the unanimous resolutionof the Central Committee on the factional centres, contemptuouslydismisses “formalities” he is dismissing the wholeresolution of the Central Committee on the factional centres.Comrade Yonov’s sophistry amounts to the following:the aggregate decisions of the Central Committee were reachednot only through the passing of resolutions by a majorityvote but also through an agreement between the warringtrends on certain highly important questions—consequently,henceforth too these decisions are not formallybinding and the minority has the right to demand an agreement!Since there is an element of compromise in the deci-