The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-19

learned to hate and fear imperialist
capitalist groups. So they, too, in
dulged in bitter criticism Of certain
manifestations of capitalism. This
caused great influx Of the petty
bourgeois elements into the revolu-
tionary workers movement. This in
fiux made itself felt more and more.
The apparent rapid growth Of
strength of the Second International
became its weakness, for it meant
the submerging of the revolutionary
labor movement in the quagmire of
petty bourgeois indecisiop and vacila-
ton.
Lenin Combats Menshivism.
Lenin foresaw this development
His clear insight into the economic
background Of all class groupings
taught him to recognize the political
refexas of those groupings. To his
clear eye petty bourgeois substance
could not hide successfully behind
revolutionary phrases. AS early as
1908 he broke with the Russian Schei-
demanns to set up that party which
under his leadership fought out the
proletarian class struggle in Russia
to its logical conclusion by establish
ing a proletarian state power. In
1904 Lenin introduced to the congress
Of his party all those practical ques-
tons that demanded solution by the
revolutionary awakening brewing in
Russia: The question of the dictator
ship Of the proletariat. The ques-
ton of appropriation Of the capital
kts. Form and essence Of revolution
airy action. Immediate steps to pre-
pare for the coming revolutionary
struggle. Thus the thinker Lenin
performed an operation on the official
Socialism" of the Second Inter-
national not less radical, not less
important than the one performed by
Karl Marx on utopian Socialism more
than a half century ago.
The indomitable revolutionary
spirit of the great leader never shone
forth brighter than after the defeat
of the revolutionary movement in
Russia in 1905. The Mensheviks
walled about a defeated revolution
and proposed to replace action by
mere propaganda. But Lenin knew
not the term, defeated revolution,
The proletariat can lose battles in
the revolution. But it can not lose
its revolution. Action is the only
form of struggle that leads to sue
cess. Action is the only teacher
that gives understanding and self
confidence to the masses. One battle
of the revolution is lost. Long live
the Revolutionl Lenin nailed to the
pillory and held up to the contempt
of the workers those charlatans who
clothed their petty bourgeois coward
ice and hatred of the working class
in a pseudo-Marxian wrapper to pass
them on, with treacherous intentions,
as revolutionary socialism.
Lenin Accepts Facts.
As a man Of action Lenin hated
phrases, but he paid his respect TO
facts. His popularity meant nothing
to him, success of the revolution
everything. The dark days Of Brest-
Litovsk demonstrated that. Indigna-
ton ran high against the impudent
proposals of General Hoffman,, the
outstanding military member of the
German peace commission. Rather
die than accept this shameful brigand
peace, was the cry. But Lenin stood
up against this sentimental wave.
He carefully weighed the chances for
success of a continued struggle. He
came to the conclusion that no
amount of sacrifice on the battlefields
of German imperialism could save
the revolution. 1t is unworthy of a
revolutionist to sacrifice himself to
an emotion. The revolution demands