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

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL PRO-PARTY SOCIAL-DEMOCRATS337organisation of the otzovists takes the form of the so-called“school” abroad (in reality it is an institution for systematicselection of agents and planned conduct of organisationalwork apart from the Party and against the Party). The“school” is supplemented by a separate publishing house andmeans of transport. The Golosists’ factional organisation islooser (“freer”, less definite in form), the chief role beingplayed by the group of Mr. Potresov and Co., the group ofthe Sixteen, and the group of Mikhail, Roman and Yuri andCo., which are absolutely independent of the Party. The Golosiststake an active part in these groups, directing all propagandist,agitational and organisational activity against theParty and at the same time not refraining from participationin the Party centres in order systematically to underminetheir significance and demoralise them from within.No pro-Party Social-Democrat can fail to see what sucha state of affairs leads to.As regards publication of literature, the year’s experiencehas shown that the Central Organ is in point of fact beingconducted by the Bolsheviks plus the Plekhanovites againstthe Golosists on the editorial board. Life has overstepped thebounds created by conciliatory phrase-mongering: the “conciliators”by promise, the “conciliators” by office, the “conciliators”by instruction of the liquidationist centres, haveproved to be a sheer hindrance to the work. Plekhanov and hisfellow-thinkers, however, who made no promises at theplenum, and who did not take up any office, proved actualimplementers of the Party line.The glaring contradiction between form and substance,between phrases and deeds, between the obviously hypocriticalexistence of a supposedly pro-Party collegium (the editorialboard of the Central Organ) and the actual activity inthe Central Organ alongside this collegium brings very greatdemoralisation into Party life. In order to put a stop to thisdemoralisation, this degradation of what are formally Partyinstitutions to a role that evokes deserved ridicule and rejoicingon the part of enemies of the Party, we must do awaywith hypocrisy and frankly say what actually exists, franklyadmit the conduct of Party work by two factions.As regards unity abroad, absolutely nothing has beendone during the year. Wherever the groups were split