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

THE PREPARATION OF A “DISGUSTING ORGY”149budgetary rights” (this is not a joke!), “extension of itsrights of supervision over the legality of the government’sactions”, measures guaranteeing the independence of thecourts, “removal of constraints on workers’ economic organisationsand on economic strikes” (“which do not prejudicestate and public interests”), “strengthening the basesof lawful civil liberties”, and so on and so forth. The Octobristgoverning party is as lavish of “liberal” phrases as thegovernment of Mr. Stolypin itself.How did the Cadets put the question of their attitudetowards the Octobrists at their congress? The handfulof Left Cadets was found to consist of blusterers who wereunable even to pose the question intelligently, while themass of the Right-wing knights of disguised Octobrismrallied strongly to smother the truth in the meanest fashion.The impotence of the Left Cadets is best illustratedby their draft resolution. Its first point recommends theCadets “to adopt a stand of sharp opposition without aligningthemselves with the Octobrists, who are hostile to it(to the Party of Constitutional-Democrats) both in spiritand in programme”. The second point calls on the Cadets“not to withhold support from Bills that lead the countryalong the path of liberation and democratic reforms, nomatter from what source they originate”. This is a joke,because Bills capable of obtaining a majority in the ThirdDuma cannot originate from any other source than theOctobrists! The Left Cadet gentlemen fully deserve theirdefeat, for they behaved like wretched cowards or fools,who are incapable of saying clearly and bluntly that it is adisgrace to intend to legislate in such a Duma, that votingwith the Octobrists means supporting the counter-revolution.Some individuals among the Left Cadets, apparently,understood the state of affairs, but being drawing-roomdemocrats, they showed their cowardice at the congress.At any rate, Mr. Zhilkin in Tovarishch mentions a privatespeech by the Cadet Safonov, in which the latter said:“The Cadet group, in my opinion, should now take thestand of the Trudovik group in the First Duma. Opposition,strong speeches—and nothing more. Yet those peopleintend to legislate. I wonder how? By friendship, by analliance with the Octobrists? What a strange tendency