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

148V. I. LENINFifth so-called “Party” Congress in three or four days. TheLeft-wing Cadets were utterly defeated and thrown outof the Cadets’ Central Committee (which consists of 38 members,who completely control the “party”). The RightwingCadets obtained complete freedom of action—in thespirit of the “report on tactics in the Third Duma”, thatremarkable, “historical” justification of the “disgustingorgy”. The Social-Democrats started to discuss Third Dumatactics in the Central Committee and at the conference ofthe St. Petersburg organisation of the R.S.D.L.P.The parliamentary programme of the Octobrists is notablefor its frank admission of the counter-revolutionarypolicy which the Cadets virtually pursued in the SecondDuma behind a screen of phrases and excuses. For instance,the Octobrists openly declare that revision of the fundamentallaws and the electoral law is “untimely” on thegrounds that it is first of all necessary to “lull and abolishthe war of passions and class interests” by introducing “anumber of pressing reforms”. The Cadets did not say this,but they acted in just this way in the Second Duma. Anotherexample. The Octobrists stand “for drawing the widestpossible circle of people into participation in self-government”,while at the same time “ensuring proper representation”of the nobility. This outspoken counter-revolutionismis more honest than the Cadets’ policy of promisinguniversal, equal, and direct suffrage by secret ballot whilein reality fiercely opposing election of the local land committeesby such means both in the First and in the SecondDumas and proposing that these committees should consistof peasants and landlords in equal numbers, that is,the same idea of “ensuring representation of the nobility”.Yet another example. The Octobrists openly reject the compulsoryalienation of the landlords’ land. The Cadets “accept”it, but accept it in such a way that they vote in theSecond Duma with the Right against the Trudoviks andthe Social-Democrats on the question of winding up theagrarian debate with a general formula accepting compulsoryalienation.On terms consolidating the “victories” of the counterrevolutionthe Octobrists are prepared to promise all kindsof liberal reforms. These include “extension of the Duma’s