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

54V. I. LENINstitution in your writings as something in the natureof salmon mayonnaise. For there can be no doubt that forthe counter-revolutionary landlord the constitution is asort of salmon mayonnaise, a means of perfecting themethod of plundering and subjugating the muzhik and themasses of the people. If Heyden was a convinced constitutionalist,then Dubasov and Stolypin as well were convincedconstitutionalists, for in practice Heyden supported theirpolicy. Dubasov and Stolypin could not have been whatthey were and could not have pursued their policy withoutthe support of the Octobrists, Heyden among them. Bywhat tokens then, O ye sage democrats from among “decent”people, are we to judge the political physiognomy of a man(a “constitutionalist”) by his speeches, by the fact that hebeats his breast and sheds crocodile tears? Or by his actualdeeds in the social arena?What is characteristic and typical of Heyden’s politicalactivities? Is it that he could not reach agreement withStolypin about joining the Ministry after the dissolutionof the First Duma? Or is it that after such an act he proceededto negotiate with Stolypin at all? Is it that formerly,at one time or another, he uttered some kind of liberalphrases? Or is it that he became an Octobrist (= a counterrevolutionary)immediately after October 17? In callingHeyden a convinced constitutionalist, you teach the peoplethat the former is characteristic and typical. And thatmeans that you are senselessly repeating fragments of democraticslogans without understanding the rudimentsof democracy.For democracy—remember this, you decent gentlemenand members of respectable society—means fighting againstthat very domination over the country by counter-revolutionarylandlords which Mr. Heyden upheld and of whichhe was the embodiment throughout his political career.Heyden was an educated man—say our drawing-roomdemocrats sentimentally. Yes, we have admitted this, andwe willingly admit that he was better educated and cleverer(which does not always go together with education) thanthe democrats themselves, for he better understood the interestsof his own class and his own counter-revolutionarysocial movement than you, gentlemen of Tovarishch, un-