East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-11-02

:1&& &HHt lHtSe DOlu res
eqes,eTs 1ee ;sssfss:j 75sss7F which with light
: S.loHs-S fS-S-S ning-lite lucidity il
lumine the cruuX of the present So
Wet pollcX. He added
; IN the fifth year of our rule we
: communists have not yet succeeded in
. establishing junction with the peas.
: antry, i. e., with 80 per cent Of tie
: population Of Russia
: 1t was at the Eleventh Conf'ess OF
: the Russian Commln'ltic Party on
March 27 last that ,ho 'tussian pre-
mier, addressing 5000 com'nrn SITS as
sembled in the KremIin thu; drew
the veil from the abyss which con-
fronts the soviet power even today.
His words sobered and sllcneed the
i"opposition."
An "Unhcalthy Situation
Almost hair year has passed sinccJ
then. Lenin has been very ia and isl
reported recovering. The Genoa con
ference was followed by The Has 10.
The domestic political situation of
Russia, however, hae not changed inI
regards this cardinal question, Forl
nearly two years We have seen the
same latent unhealthy situation; the
fate of the soviet power still hinges
isoely upon the attitude of the Rus
sian peasantry, constituting 80 per
Icent of the total population
These 100000 souls have under I
gone untold sufferings during the last
few years. They have been giving,
giving, giving-wthout receiving any
thing in return. They have given
away that which Is dearest to them
their wheat. The acquisitions depriV-
ed them of Their main strength. They
Isacrificed human material cattle and
foodstuffs-nearly everything they
possessed. And they received nothing
because Russia's industries are lying
idle and the soviet government has no
goods The Russian peasant has been
at the border of despair He came to
the point where he could sacrifice no
more wheat, but at the same time his
hunger for goods increased.
Revolt Breaks Out.
Thus it came about that a year ago
Irevolts broke out. Rebellion seethed
everywhere. 1t flared up in Kronstadt
because the discomfort of the peasant
ry had spread to the arms and to the
workers Things could not go on that
way The soviet government realized
this IN the eleventh hour. 1t found
the courage to confess unqualifiediy
the fiasco of economic communism.
1t declared the so-called new eco
nomic policy" The courage of this
deed and the avenues toward its exc
cution We're found by none other than
Lcnin. They We're his personal work.
IT was the only way out Lenin
himself has confessed IT, The new
economic policy, free trade, the OPEN
ing OF new sources of revenue, the re-
movql Of the compulsory wheat trade,
were to enable the government:
|. TO demand the minimum of
wheat from the peasants and
2. TO give the peasant bread for
his products.
Adopt New Policy.
Upon these issues depended tho sue
cess or failure of the soviet govern
ment. A face-about was made. Much
Improvement resulted. However, new
of disease and decay ap-
peared. Too much had been expected.
Russia resemblcd n countryl in which
pestilonce reigned. death stalkec
through the streets, life and laughter
had been silenced all stores, cafes and
restaurants We're closed; anyone who
engaged in commerce was sentenced
to death-~and in such a country. upon
n sudden command, everything was
expected to rise and revive at a mo-
ments notice. Things did rise and re-
,ivc. But this new 'life" resembled |
the resurrection Of n dead giant who
With rougcd lips staEgcrs through the
streets like drunkard. The new
life" in Russia produced parasitism
and provoked disgust and nausea.
While the greater part Of the popu-
alton starved suffered and went in
ags. and while another part bore
hcsc hardships heroically in the hope
hat this tortuoH way through rcvolu-
ion and misery might lead to Il dis
ant but lofty attainment. small
,and Of crooks adventures and all
orts of dubious elements began TO
make hay while the sun shone. They
aunchcd upon orgies of speculation
md rcvclries and ruled the streets.
This development reused the scorn
md hatred not only of wide masses of
he population, but also of a great
lumber of the members of the COM
nunist party who dared register loud
'rotests against it, This was the gen
sis of the so-called Opposition.
'hese people condemned the new eco
omic policy. They did so not be-
ause they were distressed by the fl
SEQ of communism. but rather be-
ausc of the cNcesscs of the new
curse"
The opposition" consisted of % of
lc ablcst members of the communist
arty. They were all idcalists. men
cvotcd TO their cause, who had lived
" years In exile in Switzerland and
al belonged TO the party for 20 years
+ more.
'Morkmcn'S Opposition"
These - men were also called the '