Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

136V. I. LENINdemands of any wide mass of the proletariat, peasantry, andurban democracy. The needs of these sections of the peoplewill, as hitherto, be voiced primarily by the Social-Democrats.The make-up and activity of the Third Duma promiseto provide the Social-Democrats with abundant and excellentpropaganda material, which should be used against theBlack-Hundred government, the avowedly feudal-mindedlandlords, Octobrists, and Cadets. As before, the task ofSocial-Democracy is to popularise among the widest massof the people the idea of a national constituent assembly onthe basis of universal suffrage, etc. There can be no question,therefore, of supporting the “Left” Octobrists or Cadetsin the Duma. Few though they are in the Third Duma, theSocial-Democrats should pursue an independent, socialist,and consistently democratic policy by making use of theDuma rostrum, the right of interpellation, etc. Some agreementsare permissible with the group of Left deputies (especiallyin view of the need to have thirty signatures formaking interpellations?, but with no others, and they mustbe agreements that do not conflict with the programme ortactics of Social-Democracy. With that end in view anInformation Bureau should be organised which would bebinding upon no one, but would merely enable the Social-Democrats to influence the Left deputies.Voices can already be heard in the Social-Democraticranks, the speaker went on, calling for support of the “Left”Octobrists (in the election of the presiding committee, forinstance), for the organisation of an Information Bureauwith the Cadets, and for the so-called “guarding” of ourDuma group. The talk about supporting the Octobrists,which comes from the Mensheviks, testifies as plainly ascould be to the utter failure of the Menshevik tactics. Whenthe Duma was dominated by the Cadets the Mensheviksclamoured for support for the Cadets. Stolypin had onlyto alter the electoral law in favour of the Octobrists for theMensheviks to show themselves ready to support the Octobrists.Where will this path lead the Mensheviks in theend?The speaker regarded an Information Bureau with theCadets as impermissible, because it would mean informingone’s avowed enemies.