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

68V. I. LENINotzovists have never [!!!] expressed anti-parliamentarysentiments at all”) and an evasive repudiation of otzovism(we are not otzovists; the Party must not liquidate the Social-Democraticgroup in the Duma now; “the Party must” ...“decide whether in the last analysis the whole undertaking—participation in the Third Duma—has not been disadvantageousto it”, as though the Party had not decided thisquestion already!).This evasiveness of Maximov and Co. has deceived andstill deceives many people. They say: “Well, what harm canthe Party or even the faction suffer from people who do not atall refuse to carry out the Party’s decisions but only cautiouslydefend their own somewhat different point of viewon tactics?”Such a reaction to the propaganda of Maximov and Co.is very widespread among the unthinking public who givecredence to words without taking into account the concretepolitical significance of evasive, guarded, diplomatic phrasesin the circumstances of the present Party situation. Nowthey have received an excellent lesson.Maximov and Co.’s leaflet is dated July 3 (16), 1909.In August the Executive Committee of the St. PetersburgCommittee passed the following resolution by three ultimatumistvotes to two on the prospective election campaignin St. Petersburg (which is now over).“On the question of the election the Executive Committee, withoutattaching special importance to the State Duma and our group there,but being guided by the general Party decision, resolves to take partin the election, not investing all the available forces, but merely puttingforward its own candidates to gather the Social-Democratic votesand organising an election committee subordinated to the ExecutiveCommittee of the St. Petersburg Committee through its representative.”Let readers compare this resolution with Maximov’sforeign leaflet. A comparison of these two documents isthe best and surest way of opening the eyes of the public tothe true character of Maximov’s group abroad. This resolution,just like Maximov’s leaflet, professes submission tothe Party but, again just like Maximov, in principle defendsultimatumism. We do not at all mean to say that the St.Petersburg ultimatumists have been guided directly by