The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-13

tlculaf, ana thereby TO OVERLOOK the
experiences Of 1917. 1t would be as
if we were to indulge in disputes
over the advantages of various
methods of swimming, but obstin-
ately refuse to turn our eyes to the
river, where these methods are be-
ing applied by bathers. There is
no better test for a point of view
over revolution than its application
in revolution itself, precisely as a
method Of swimming can best be
proved when the swimmer springs
into the water. (page XVII
what is the meaning of Bolshev-
ising the Communist parties? 1t
means such an education of these
parties, such a selection of the lead
ing persons, that they will not run
off the track at the moment of their
October Herein lies Hegel, the
book-wisdom and the essence Of all
philosophers. :" (page 65.)
These sentences only contain half
the truth, and one can therefore Gas
Comrade Trotzky does) draw totally
false conclusions from them.
Comrade Trotzky says to the Com
munist parties; Study October in or
der to be victorious! One must not
overlook October.
Certainly one must not do that. Just
as one must neither forget the year
1905. nor the very instructive years Of
reaction. Who, and where and when,
has recommended such a monstrous
thing? Who, and where and when,
has even ventured to advocate such
an absurdity?
No one has recommended it. But
precisely in order to understand the
precautions Of the October victory,
one must at all costs look beyond the
immediate preparations Of the revolt.
But in no event must one be separ-
stances must one estimate groups, per-
sons and tendencies by disconnecting
them from that period of preparation
which Comrade Trotzky compares to
disputes over "the best method of
swimming" OF course in the critical
period" when it is a question of
decisive struggle, all questions are
faced In all their acuteness, and all
shades, tendencies and groups tend
to express on this occasion their most
characteristic, inner, essential qualit-
les. On the other hand, the explana-
ton for the fact that they play pos
tive role during the fiood-time Of rev.
olution, does not always lie in the cor
|rectness of their standpoint"
at is not difficult to be revolution
airy when revolution has already brok-
ne out, when everything is in fames,g
thus Comrade Lenin formulated this
aspect to the question COLLECTED
Works Volume IL, Page 1873, Russian
Edition.) In another passage he says:
"The revolutionary is not he who be-
comes revolutionary on the outbreak
Of revolution, but he who defends the
principles and slogans Of the revolu-
tion at the time Of the most furious
reaction" Ibid. Volume Z, Page 15).
That is not the same thing as Trotz-
ky says. n
Let us dot the is. What determined
the attitude of the party of the Bolshe-
Wiki in October? 1t was determined by
the whole previous history Of the par
ty, by its struggle against all oppor-
tunist deviations, from the extreme
rhensheyists up to. the Trotzkyites
(For example the August" Bloc.
Can one however, perchance. say that
the correct standpoint Of Comrade
Trotzky because 1t conceded with
the Bolshevist standpoint) in the
October days resulted from his at
titude in the preparatory period? OBJ