The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-07-23
Continued from last weeko
MILITARY COMMUNISM"

1t is not less necessary however to know the real
extent of the service which we rendered by estab-
fishing military communism" Military Commun-
ism" was made necessary by the war and the state
of ruin 1t did not and could not meet the problems
Of proletarian policy. 1t was temporary measure
The correct policy of the prolearat carrying out its
dictatorship in small-peasant-countr is to ex-
change for corn the products of industry necessary
to the peasantry. Only such policy can satisfy the
requirements of the proletariat only such policy
can strengthen the foundation of communism and
lead to its complete victory.
The Agricultural Tax is a transition to this policy.
We are still in that state of ruin, still crushed by
the burden of war (Which ragged yesterday and which,
owing to the greed and anger of the capitalist may
break out again tomorrow and we cannot give to
the peasant sufficient products of industry in ex-
change for all the corn we need Knowing this, we
introduce the Agricultural Tax that is, we take the
minimum quantity of corn necessary for the arming
of the workers, in the form of tax, and the re-
mainder we will exchange for the products OF in
dustry.
In this connection we must also bear in mind that
our poverty and ruin is such that We cannot imme-
dately establish large State Socialist Factory Pro-
duction For this purpose it is necessary to have
centers, and to replace the wornout machinary with
new machinery. Experience has convinced us tnae
this cannot be done all at once, and We know that
after the destruction caused by the mperialist war,
even the richest and most advanced countries can
solve this problem only during the course of rather
long period of time This means that it is necessary
to certain extent to assist the reestabshment OF
small industry, which does not require machinery,
anf ctnekc of
raw material, fuel and food and which can i'm
mediatey give certain assistance to agriculture and
raise its productivity.
What will come of all this? Fundamentally, we
get certain amount Gf only locaD of Free Trade,
a revival of the petty bourgeoisie and capitalism
This is undoubted and to close ones eyes to it would
be ridiculous.
We are asked-Is this necessary; can this be
Justified; is it not dangerous?
These questions are asked by many, and in most
cases they only reveal the naivete Expressing one
self politely of those who ask them
Refer to the in which in May 1918,
defined the economic clements Component parts)
of the various soco-econ0mic strata. 1t is impOs
sibe to dispute the existence of these five rungs,
component parts of the five strata, from the
patrarchal to the semi-prmitive 1t is most evident
that in small-peasant country the smal-peasant
strata, that is, the partly patriarchal and partly
petty bourgeois, will predomnate. The development
vof-smai- -iadastry, since we have exchange. means
the development of petty bourgeois, capitalist in
dustry This is indisputable truth, elementary
truth of political economy, confirmed by the every
day experience and observation of the ordinary
man in the street.
What policy the Socialist proletairat pursue
in the face of such economic circumstances? The
most desirable and most correct" policy would be
to give the small peasant all the industrial products
of the large socialist factories which the peasant
quires, in exchange for his and raw materials
This is what We have begun to do, but we are far
from being able to give all the necessary products
and we shall not be able to do this for long time