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

A WORD TO THE BOLSHEVIKS OF ST. PETERSBURG71from it, they were no less unanimous in their disapproval of the methodsof struggle which the editorial board of Proletary proposed againstour tactical opponents—the ultimatumists. They did not agreewith the resolutions of Proletary that it is necessary to make a factionalbreak with these comrades, but considered that such a break wouldbe a step endangering the existence of the Party.... I am sure that Icorrectly express the opinion and sentiment of the meeting if I say:we shall not allow a split. Comrades! You people abroad have conjuredup for yourselves a dreadful demon of ultimatumism that in realitydoes not exist over here. A chance combination in the St. PetersburgCommittee and the Executive Committee produced an ultimatumistmajority, the result of which was the adoption of a silly, illiterateresolution which dealt these ultimatumists such a moral blowthat they can scarcely recover-from it.... At the meeting of the St. PetersburgCommittee which adopted this resolution there were norepresentatives from three districts, and it has now come to lightthat the representative of the fourth district was not entitled to vote.So there were in effect no representatives from four districts and theone vote which gave the majority to the ultimatumists, is “accountedfor”. So It turns out that even with the St. Petersburg Committeemeeting under strength the ultimatumists did not have a majority.... Asregards the resolution of the St. Petersburg Committee on the election,the meeting resolved to get it reconsidered and there is no doubtthat at the very next meeting of the St. Petersburg Committee, whereit now appears that we shall be in the majority, a different resolutionwill be adopted. The ultimatumists themselves are ashamed of their resolutionand agree to have It reconsidered. They all agree, the proposerhimself not excepted, it seems, that it is altogether stupid, but—andI emphasise this—there is nothing criminal in it. The ultimatumistcomrades who voted for it voiced their disagreement with the authorof the resolution who was really following the advice of the saying thatone should behave so as ‘to acquire capital without incurring blame’.”Thus our supporter charges us with spending our timeabroad conjuring up a vision of a dreadful demon of ultimatumism,and with impeding (or undermining) the cause of rebuildingthe Party by our splitting attacks on the ultimatumists.The best reply to this “charge” is the history of what tookplace in St. Petersburg. That is why we have told it in suchdetail. The facts speak for themselves.We considered that Comrade Maximov had broken withour faction because he refused to submit to the resolutionsof the enlarged editorial board and organised under the guiseof the notorious “school” the ideological and organisationalcentre of a new organisation abroad. For this we are beingcensured by some of our supporters who in St. Petersburghad to use the most drastic measures (a special non-officialmeeting of influential workers and the reconsideration of a