The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-05-09
Continued from page y

opinion that in order to make an end
Of all skepticism and in connection with
this question the Communist Parties
must make careful study Of these
lessons in order to realize that the
peasant question is not secondary
question, but most important strateg-
ical task without solution of which
victory is impossible.
In studying the present conditions
in the village lin the widest sense of
this word) we must first of all admit
that change has taken place after
the war in the mutual relations be-
tween town and country.
Marx once said: the changes in the
relations between town and country
are a sign of changes in the whole
epoch. This is perfectly correct. The
development of capitalism meant in
equality between town and country,
and the present period has also spe-
cific features as far as relations be-
tween town and countryside are con-
cerned. We notice that the relative
Importance of the village with rela-
ton to the town has increased. From
the standpoint of economy, agriculture
with the relation to industry plays to-
day greater role than before the
war. From the standpoint of class:
the agrarians, the peasantry play to-
day relatively mot absolutely more
important role than the urban class.
And therefore, also from the stand
point of politics: the influence and the
political power of the village is great
er than before.
THE second important phenomenon
L on this field is the agrarian crisis
which has already been dealt with in
Zinoviev's report and in Vargas
speech.
The third phenomenon connected
with it is the growth of peasant activ-
ity in all countries without exception.
And the fourth fact of a social ma
ture is the fact of the differentiation
of the peasantry and it's organizations.
These are the specific features and
the most important phenomenon of
this situation.
Because of this situation there are
the differences in the peasant move
ment which we have to record. The
differences between the big agrarians
and the peasants.
Another set of differences are those
within the peasantry itself. All these
differences give us an opportunity to
make use of the situation and to draw
proper political conclusions. These
differences develop in various forms
The difference between the peasants
and big agrarians follows in backward
countries the line of agrarian reform
This is the struggle for land. The
gulf between the peasantry and the
bourgeoisie in the so-called civilized
countries follows two main lines, on
the one hand it follows the line Of
taxation policy and on the other hand
the line Of economic policy-of syndi-
Gates and trusts. The third feature
OF the situation is the war peril
A LII this represents an objective
"A basis for our policy. We have
only to take advantage Of the differ
ences between the big landowners and
the peasants in the backward coun-
tries to get revolutionary solution Of
the agrarian question in the chief
sense of the word. In connection with
questions of taxation, corn prices and
prices for manufactured articles, we
must use the slogan of joint struggle
against trust capital.
Comrades, l must declare here most
emphatically that in some Communist
Parties it has not yet been understood
that we must go to the peasants with
wholly empiric, wholly concrete de-
mands. The social democrats and the
bourgeoisie on the other hand proceed
with concrete demands, and this
makes a great impression on the
peasants. The Communist Parties
must not ignore these partial de-