The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-11
CONTINUED from last issueJ

"Martov defends the education Of
the peasantry (who are carrying on a
revolutionary struggle against aristoo-
racy) by the liberals (who betrayed
the peasantry to the aristocracy).
This is nothing else than the substi-
tuition of liberalism for Marxism, it is
nothing more nor less than liberalism
disguised in Marxist phrases. .
The struggle between menshevism and
Bolshevism is indissolubly bound up
with this actually, for it is here the
struggle between the support lent to
the liberals Ton the part of the men
sheviki) and the overthrowal of the
hegemony of the liberals over the
peasantry (by the Bolsheviki). Thus
the attempt to explain away our dis.
sensions by the influence Of the intel
ligenzia, the immaturity Of the prole
tariat, ETC., is merely a naive and
childish repetition of liberal fairy
tales"
We see that "Trotsky came to Lenin"
by means of telling the international
proletariat liberal fairy tales on Len
inism.
"A chasm lies between our stand
point and Martovs standpoint, and
this chasm between the views of vari-
GUS Intellectuals' merely reflects. de-
spite Trotskys opinions to the CON
trRry, the chasm which actually ex-
listed in the year 1905, between two
classes, that is, between the revolu-
tionary fighting proletariat and the
treacherous bourgeoisie.
This is what Comrade Trotsky, &C
cording to Lenin, did not comprehend
about Bolshevism. But if he did nc.
comprehend this, did he comprehend
anything about it at all?
"Trotsky distorts Bolshevism. fo
he has never been able to form anv
definite views on the role played by
the proletariat in the Russian bour-
geois revolution"
Comrade Lenin, after characterizin
Trotsky's whole representation of Ro
shevism to the uniformed Germa
workers as a refined breach of faith. ("
closed his characterization with the
following words
I'm 1908, Trotsky was a mensbevist
he left the mensheviki in 1904. return
ed to the mensheviki in 1905. brand
ishing ultra-revolutionary phrases the
while, and again turned his back up-
on the mensheviki in 1906: at the end
of 1906 he defended the election al
lance with the cadets thus actually
siding with the mensheviki again).
and in the spring of 1907 he declared
at the London congress that the diff
ference between him and Rosa Lux.
emburg was rather a difference of in
dividual shading than of political ten
dency.' Trotsky plagarizes today
from the ideas of one fraction, tomor-
row from those of the other, and thus
lie regards himself as a being SUPER
ior to both fractions. Theoretically,
Trotsky does not agree with the LIQUID
ators and Otsovists on any single
question, but in actual practice he is
entirely in agreement with the Golos
and Vperiod group (that is, with the
supporters of bourgeois influence over
the proletariat. l.. K). | must de-
clare that Trotsky represents his
fraction only. and enjoys a certain
amount of faith exclusively on the
part of the Otsovists and liquidators.
(Compl. works XI-2, 292, 293, 296, 3O7
30S.)
1912.
The year 1912 was year of chang
es. In January the Bolsheviki broke
off the last remains of organizatory
connections with the mensheviki. and
formed their own purely Bolshevist
Central Committee at their own Boil.
shevist conference Cat Prague). TIL
excluded the liquidators from the
party and proclaimed a program OF
revolutionary action. After the bloc
oath on the Lena, stormy wave o.
proletarian movement arose. for tho
hrst time since 1905 This move.
ment appropriated the program and
tactics Of the Bolsheviki in their en-
tirety. The "Bolshevist epidemic" Ito
use the malicious term coined by the
mensheviki at the time) began to
spread, and presently gained the final
victory. The awakening labor move
ment removed the liquidators system
atically from every position which
they had contriyed to gain during the
previous sorrowful years of counter
revolution. This was the beginning
of the revolutionary attack under the
slogans of the Bolsheviki, under the
leadership of the Bolsheviki-an at
tack which led to barricade fighting
in Leningrad as early as the middle of
1914.
What was the attitude adopted by
Comrade Trotsky with regard to these
decisive events? Did this wave of
revolutionary uplift. this strengthen
ing Of the labor movement, perhaps
induce Comrade Trotsky TO abandon
the standpoint OF an agent of menshe.
vism, held by him during the preceG
ing years OF disintegration and decay?
Did his ultra-left theory of permanent
revolution" after lying unused for
years in his drawer, perhaps aid him
TO break the bonds lettering him to
counter-revolutionary menshevism?
No. Comrade Trotsky remained
true to himself and-to the menshe-
-'st liarjdators.
RE replied TO the organizatory de.
velopment and establishment of the
d.. L.s