Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-09
Dictatorship Lenin's Hope
From the New York Times.

Recent outgivngs by Lenin, head OF the Boil
shevist dictatorship in Russia, have been pub
are translated by The New Europe of June In
these articles Lenin continues his defense Of a
dictatorship of the proletariat Part OF his de-
Tense is the struggle undertaken in all countries
against the destructive doctrines of the Bolshe-
wiki. Lenin says there have been "Bolshevist
pogroms" in America, but does not explain what
he means by that. But the main point of Lenin's
doctrine is that there must be either 'bour-
geois" dictatorship or a proletarian dictatorship
He complains bitterly that the Socialists do not
admit that this is the only alternative. The aim
of the sovets, he says, is the complete destruc-
ton of the state organizations. The Paris COM
mune took the first step, he says, and the soviet
the second.
The New Europe, in publishing this Bolshe-
visit pronouncement, says:
1--WE would direct the attention of all sane
elements of labor in this and other countries
ciples of true socialism and democracy. The
dictatorship Of the proletariat is as incompatible
with liberty equality and fraternity as is any
other kind Of dictatorship"
A part of Lenin's ARTICLE follows:
"Throughout the whole civilized world at
present the deportation, persecution, and intern
ment of Bolsheviki is taking place. as, for in
stance, in Switzerland, one of the most free of
bourgeois republics. In America, too, there are
even Bolshevist pogroms. From the general
point of view Of democracy it is simply ludicrous
to see that civilized, advanced, democratic coun-
tries, armed to the teeth as they are, should
dread the presence of some few dozens of in
dividuals from starving, ruined and scarcely sur
viving Russia, who have been spoken of in mil
lions OF bourgeois papers at outlaws and Grim
inals. 1t is obvious that social conditions which
could produce such a crying contrast to the
reality must be the work of bourgeois Dictator
ship aPP - -:
tatorship is not only fully justified as means
to overthrow the extortioners and suppress their
resistance, but is also absolutely necessary for
the mass OF the working men, as the only pro-
lection against bourgeois dictatorship which led
to war and is preparing a new war.
"The chief thing which the Socialists do not
understand, thereby just showing their theoreti-
cal shortsightedness, the dependence on bour-
geois pre- judces, their treachery toward the pro-
letariat is that, in the capitalstic community,
there be no middle course between bour-
geois dictatorship and proletarian dictatorship.
Any dream OF third course is merely the
lament of some petty bourgeois reactionary.
The experiences of Development more than
100 years old, OF bourgeois democracy and the
labor movement in all advanced countries, and
especially the experiences of the last five years,
plainly show this. The entire doctrine of ma
tional economics and the whole gist of Marxism
are eloquent Of it, clearly pointing out the eco
nomic necessity of bourgeois dictatorship wher-
dictatorship which can only be done away with
by the class which, as capitalism develops, fur
ther develops, increases and strengthens itself,
namely the proletarian class.
"The proletarian dictatorship is like the die
tatorship of other classes in that it emanates
from the necessity of forcib1y suppressing the
resistance of the class that loses its political
power. The fundamental difference between the
proletaran dictatorship and that of other classes
such as the dictatorship of the great estate
owners in the Middle Ages, and that of the
bourgeoise in all civilized capitalistic countries,
is simply that the two last-named relationships
were forcible suppression of the resistance Of
the majority of the population, the masses of the
working class. In contradistinction to this, the
proletarian dictatorship is forcible suppression
of the resistance of the extortioners that is the
obvious minority of the population, the great
estate-owners and the capitalists.
"The essence of the Soviet power consists in
the fact that the massed organization of those
very classes that were kept down by the capi-
talists-that is. the workngmen and the semi
proletarians-forms the steady and only bulwark
for the whole power Of the State and the whole
| who, even in the most democratic bourgeois
republics, are still kept from all participation
in political life and from the enjoyment Of all
democratic liberty and right, although accord
ing to the law they enjoy an equal share in
all rights, are now brought into permanent and
definite touch with the democratic adminstra-
ton of the State.
"The equality of all fellow citizens, irrespec-
tive of sex, religion, race or nationality, which
was always promised but never carried out by
the bourgeois democracy, and never could be
carried out owing to the power Of capitalism,
| has now been amply realized by Soviet power
or the proletarian dictatorship, as it is only
| the power of the workmen that is capable of
| carrying it out, workmen who are not inter-
ested in private property as means for pro-
duction or in the fight for the ever-recurring
| distribution of the same.
"The old bourgeois democracy and parlia-
| mentarianism were so organized as to keep the
| working classes at the greatest distance from
| the administrative machinery. But the Soviet
| power the proletarian dictatorship, on the con-
trary, is organized so that it brings the masses
| of the working class into close touch with the
administration. The same purpose is attained
by the legislative and executive power of the
| States Soviet organization, and by substitut-
| ing, industrial units, such as works and fac
| tories, for territorial constituencies.
! THE army was an organ for suppression not
only under the monarchy, but also afterward
| in all bourgeois, and even in the most demo-
| cratic republics The Soviet Government is
| the only established State organization that,
in the interests of the classes, oppressed by
| capitalism, is capable Of abolishing military de-
| pendence on bourgeois ability to command,
| and of really amalgamating the proletarat with
tariat and disarming the bourgeois, without
which conditions the victory of socialism would
| be impossible"