The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-03-26
FROM THE SECOND CONGRESS PUBdHED
IMPAIRMENT OF STATE

Bolsheviks. A great many books in ali the
European languages now appear which de-
YOUR Bolshevism whole. But the more there
are of such books, the more rapidly does
sympathy for Bolshevism increase. | have |
in mind the book of Otto Bauer, entitled |
'Bolshevism and Social Democracy. Here 1t |
is shown clearly just what Menshevism re-
presents. 1t would be hard on any OF US,
on the basis of Is years experience and
pleasant reeollections, to be forced to- sit
down and describe just what Menshevism
is. This learned Marxist has fortunately
saved us this none too cheerful task. All
the fairy tales of the Mensheviks with re-
spect to us have been repeated here with
exact citations from our DEGREES lotto Bauer
knows Russian) and with Menshevist de-
ductions stuck in at every point: 1t is
evident that they were victorious over Kol-
chalk and Denikin, but now without question
in their struggle against the peasantry their
cause must meet definite defeat =
'T think that our comrade Communists
should make the book of Otto Bauer a text
book for Communists. Take ali. re of this
book and show, on the basis of this page
just what Menshevism is, which leads to
Scheidemanism. If you are able to show this
it means that you have passed the examina-
tion and can enter the Communist Party.
| If you fail to show this DIT means that you
understand nothing about Menshevism and
can not enter the Communist Party. Gap
| plause and laughter)
Perversion on Marxism.
"Otto Bauer let slip one phrase which
| should be made historic. A monument should
be erected to him in his lifetime, with this
sentence, found in this book, engraved on
| it. This sentence reads: 1t at present in the
countries of western Europe democracy ap-
| plies violence, then this will be violence
with respect to the social factor Of force.
| What does this mean? Democracy glaran-
tees to all the social factor of force. This
means force, organization, action, and con-
/ sciousness 1t can be put into motion at
elections. But if you, workmen or laborers,
commit violence against capitalism perhaps
you think that this is revolutionary violence
! against the eXploiter, against the property
| owner? No; you are wrong. This represents
| violence against the social factor of force.
i hope that Bauer has ruined himself by this
| phrase, just as did Scheidemann, Noske
| and the Hungarian and Finnish Social
Democrats. We shall engrave these words
on the monument to Otto Bauer, and to al
those Socialist Chauvinists* of the Il Inter.
national, for they will serve as a model from
which future generations will learn how the
most scientific Marist theory can be per-
verted, and converted into a shameful
slavish, and disgraceful cause, namely, tina;
of defending exploiters and oppressers; anC
how, by means of such equivocations ant
wordplays, revolution can be condemned
as violence.
IF farm laborers and workmen overthrow
by violence landowners and capitalists, thel
will this violence against private propert,
be violence against the social factor of force
Comrades, perhaps this example is rathe
frivolous, but it shows what methods mus
now be seized on by the best representative
, Of the II international in order to conlba
revolution and the state of mind of revolu
tionary people.
The Deception of Menshevism Is Universe
, "Of course we, Russian Bolsheviks fin
+ nothing new here. But the Austrian an
q Hungarian Communists will have to combs
: these opportunistic commonplaces of OF
Bauer, and will have to work hard, becau1
Is they do not have is years of experience
o struggle against Menshevsm. But ON Il
# other hand from this study of sophisn
70 equivocations, and receptions, they W
,f gain enlightment. In our own history
Is know these deceptions, and in communici
a. ing them now to our foreign comrades,
k. call the latters attention to the fact tn
no Russian Menshevism, by the will Of
fates, has become that doctrine that {
ceptioh, which in all contries, in Sigh
,v different forms, in some with Marxist woi
IN and in Others without, has been put forws
GO as a defense against Bolshevim.