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

66V. I. LENINresolution on the election. The text of this resolution is givenelsewhere in this issue. 4) The adoption of this resolutionraised a regular storm in Bolshevik Party circles in St.Petersburg. The storm raged, if you will permit the expression,from above and from below. “From above”—the indignationand protests of the representatives of the CentralCommittee and members of the enlarged editorial boardof Proletary. “From below”—the calling of a non-officialinter-district meeting of Social-Democratic workers andfunctionaries in St. Petersburg. The meeting adopted aresolution (see text in this issue) of solidarity with the editorialboard of Proletary, but sharply censured the “splittingactions” of both this editorial board and of the otzovistultimatumists.Then a new meeting of the St. PetersburgCommittee and Executive Committee was held and the ultimatumistresolution was rescinded. A new resolution wasadopted in harmony with the policy of Proletary. The textof this resolution is quoted in full in the Current Eventscolumn of the present issue.Such, in the main, is the picture of events. The significanceof the notorious “ultimatumism” in our Party has nowbeen completely demonstrated in practice and all RussianSocial-Democrats should ponder carefully over the questionsin dispute. Further, the censure which a section of our comradesin St. Petersburg passed on our “splitting” policy givesus a welcome opportunity to explain ourselves definitivelyto every Bolshevik on this important question as well. Itis better to “explain ourselves” fully now than to arousenew friction and “misunderstandings” at every step in ourpractical work.First of all let us establish what exactly was the standpointwe adopted on the question of a split immediatelyafter the Conference of the enlarged editorial board ofProletary. The “Communication” on this Conference (Supplementto Proletary No. 46*) states from the outset that ultimatumism,as the trend proposing that an ultimatum shouldbe presented to the Social-Democratic group in the Duma,is vacillating between otzovism and Bolshevism. One ofour ultimatumists abroad—says the “Communication”—* See present edition, Vol. 15, pp. 425-33.—Ed.