The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-01
BIG PROBLEMS FACE RUSSIAN COMMUNISTS

their being the result of independent
thought expended on these funda-
mental questions.
This higher standard of political
life, in the nuclei and in the higher
organizations alike; the discussion of
all questions coming before the
Party in these organizations, so long
as no insuperable obstacles stand in
the way of such discussion: this is
the guarantee, at the present juno
ture, against the schismatic elements
entering our Party from various
sides, just as other measures, meas
ures of severest discipline, super
latively military in description, af-
forded guarantees to our Party
against other dividing influences in
other times of bitter struggle.
Another condition essential to the
workers democracy, dictated by the
general situation, and a necessary
guarantee for free discussion, is that
the posts in our Party are filled by
election.
Democratic Centralism.
You are we'll aware, comrades, that
this question of the discussion of all
questions, and Of the participation of
all members in the discussion, the
question of the choosing by election
of the whole Party apparatus from
the top to the bottom, is in no way
new to us either as a problem or as
task. The idea of this system has
not occurred to the Party now for
the first time.
We have long been aware that
democratic centralism does not con-
sist in the Party being elected from
below, but in the undertaking execu-
ton Of the instructions of the Party
on the part of the persons and insti-
tutions holding positions in the
Party.
This was a fact established for us
some decades ago; but we have had
to apply this democratic centralism
in different ways under different con-
ditions, and if we had delayed, at the
present juncture, inF our transition
to broader application of this prin-
ciple, we should have committed a
grave error.
But can anyone maintain that on
this occasion the Central did not OBJ
serve the necessity in good time?
How did this workers democracy
come about? AS early as the Plen-
airy Session of the Central in Sep
TENDER Convened in connection with
the prevailing excitement and with
the formation of the workers, group
above mentioned) Comrade Dser-
szinsky submitted to this session a
report pointing out that dying out
Of our Party, the dying out of the
inner life of the Party, the greater
prevalence of nomination rather than
election, might easily become po-
htical danger, and might paraiize
our Party in regard to the political
leadership of the working class.
An analysis of this movement,
present both within and without the
Party in July and August, caused
Comrade Dserszinsky to set up a
broad commission to inquire into the
internal situation in the Party. The
task set this commission was to deal
with the question as whole.
The Plenary Session following, in
October, passed a resolution citing
the resolution of the Central, and
stating that: "The Plenary Sessions
Of the Central, and of the C. C. C.
Central Control Commission fully
approve of the course adopted at the
right moment by the Political Blu
reau, with reference to internal
Party democracy; they also approve
of the stronger measures dictated by
the Political Bureau to combat the
'wasteful expenditure and against
the dividing influence of the NEP