The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-30

all Lne DAD ones from OLneTS. DuI
my mistake consisted in having made
concessions in style. From the stand
point of political agitation and stra-
tegical manoeuvring which we're sub
sequently interpreted, as political
manouevring, this postulate cannot be
regarded as incorrect, it is quite ad-
missible.
In 1917, Lenin wrote an article ION
Compromises" in which he dealt with
the possibility of pact with the men
sheviks and social revolutionists, on
the question of forming a government
responsible to the Soviets. In that
article he wrote:
1--WE have now reached such an
abrupt and unique turn in the Russian
revolution that we may, as a Party,
offer voluntary compromise, of
course not to the bourgeoisie, to our
direct and principal class enemy, but
to our immediate opponents, to the
leading" geois-democratic
parties, to the social revolutionists
and mensheviks.
by way of an exception, and in
view of peculiar circumstances which
evidently will continue only for a
very short period we can offer com
promise to these parties, and it seems
to me that we must do so.
ION our part, the compromise means
return to our pre-July demand: "all
power to the Soviets," a government
of Observation-Disclosures and menshe-
viks responsible to the Soviets.
only at the present moment can
such government be created, per-
haps in a few days or in one or two
weeks, and become consolidated quite
peacefully. 1t could ensure, with con-
siderable probability, the peaceful
progressive march of the whole Rus
sian revolution, and very great
chances for big steps forward by the
worldwide movement for peace and
the victory of socialism.
"Only for the sake of this peaceful
development of the revolution-an
opportunity extremely rare in history
and extremely valuable, an exception
ally rare opportunity-only for the
sake of this opportunity the bolshe-
viks, the advocates of the worldwide
revolution, the advocates Of revo-
lutionary methods, can and must, to
my mind, agree to such a compro-
mise"
Further on he says: N
1.-THE task of truly revolutionary
party consists not in an impossible
Reputation of any compromise, but
while going in for all the compromises
inasmuch as they are unavoidable, to
remain loyal to its principles, to its
class, to it's revolutionary task, to its
cause of preparing for the revolution
and of educating the masses of the
people for a victorious revolution"
ARTICLE ION Compromises" Sep
TENDER 8, 1910.
Strategieal Manouvre, Not System.
That, Comrade Smeral, was just a
strategical move. He spoke of an
honorable coalition" Such a form
of words is permissible in agitation
! l had occasion to write in a similar
strain in those days. Did Lenin intend
to become reconciled to mensheviks
and join government of "all" work
ers and peasants parties? Not in tie
least. 1t was merely a strategical
manouvre. If, however, one imparts
more meaning to this phrase, if one
makes 1t method, if one means in all
seriousness, that it is possible to form
coalition with workers parties
which only call themselves workers
parties and in reality represent bour-
geois third parties,-that leads to
opportunism. The strength of the
communist and of the other alleged
workers parties is certainly very
great. If these workers parties were
real workers parties, not according to
their composition, but politically, and
we could form coalition with them,
we would become unconquerable in
Europe. But these parties are work
ers' parties only in name. 1t is, there
fore, nonsense, it is a sin, it is counter
revolutionary utopianism, it is op-
portunism to talk of coalition with all
workers parties-that is, workers
parties such as ourselves, and those
which call themselves workers parties
and are actually bourgeois parties.
For a number OF comrades the tact
les of the united front was not only
a question of the agitational methods
OF party, which knew what it want
ed. 1t did not foresee at first that a
bible, an opportunistic bible would be
made out OF strategical manouvre,
although in my first theses referred
to the dangers of opportunistic inter-
pretations. But that is what was
done.
Ito be continued Tomorrow