The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-01-09
Where to Begin?
(From "Iskra," May, 1901

with especial force during 1t is question
not of the selection of the road Gas the at the
end of the SOS and at the beginning of the $685. but
question of what practical steps we musr take and
precisely in what manner must take them along an
ascerained road. 1t is question concerning system
aad plan practical activity And it be acknow
lodged that this question of the character and the
means of struggle-whch is basic for practical party
still remains undecided with u.s. still excites very ser
GUS differences of opinion revealing sad unsteadness
and vascillaton of thought. On the hand, the
economic" tendency, which attempts to eInasculate
and to marrow the work Of political organization and
agitation, is far from being tdead On the other hand
tie tendency of unprinciped eclectcism which adapts
fe to every "eurrentY which cannot distinguish,
tie Immediate requirements from the basic problems
The permanent needs of the movement as whole
proudly raised its head formerly AS is known such
! tendency built for itself nest in the "Rabocheye
Delo" (Workers Cause'). It's latest program" dec
aratona loud article under loud title The Historic
Turn" mo of the "Listok Raboehav6s Della" con-
firms especially clearly the characteristic It was
only yesterday that played with "economism" that
we were Indignant about the decisive condemnation of
the "Rabochaya Misl" that we modifying" Pick
hanoys stand on the question Of struggle against auto
cracy,and today already quoting the words of
iebknecht IF circumstances change in "a hours then
h is necessary also to change the tactics in "a hours;
we are already speaking "strong fighting organza
ton for direct attack for the storming the auto
cracy we are speaking of broad revolutionary DO
itical agitation there! already how energetcallvI-
both revolutionary and politically amongst the mass
we are already speaking of unrng call to protest
IN the Streets of arrangement of street demonstra.
ions OF sharply (sc) political character" etc. and so
| on and forth
We could, if you please express pleasure because
Of the fact that Rabocheye Deo" has so quickly ass-
lated the which we had already put forward
N the arstsnumbernef Hssnal for the rereation of
strong organized party directed toward the conquest
Il II of mar oil A,k1
hold of autocracy; however the absence of any firm
viewpoint among those who have assmilaed it is enuf
70 spoil all the pleasure Of "Rabocheye Delo"
mentions Lebknecht's in vain. In "a hours one
may change the tactics of agitation regard to some
special question the tactics carrying out some detail
OF party organizations but to change not only in "a
hours but even in "a months ones opinions regard
TO the question whether fighting organization and
political agitation amongst are necessary gen.
orally at all times and unconditionaly is possible only
or men having no principles To refer to the difference
Of the situation to the change of periods is ridiculous
obligatory to work for the creation of fighting
cation and for the conducting of political agita-
naer, any grey, peaceful" situation in the period
any serttof decline of revolutionary spirit more
man taa the above mentioned work is especially nee
essary precisely in such a situation and in such peri
DDS because at the moment of explosions and
Is already late to create an Organization the organi
aoh must De prepared in order at develop it's
actVity TO change tactics in "a hourst" But in or
ger to change tactics first possess tactics ana
tnere is no strong organization tested in political
struggle in every situation and during all periods then
mere can be no talk Of that systematic plan of action
niumlned with firm principles and being carried out
anwaveringly which alone deserves the name Of tao
tcs Consider indeed: we are told already that the
historic moment has put before party an entirely
new question-of terror Yesterday the question of
political organization and agitation entirely new;
today tits the question of terror Is it not strange to
hear how people SO forgenul Of their origin are dis
cussing radical change of tactics? e r " RI vssree
\ rtunately. "Rabocheye Delo is wrong The ques
ifo terror is absolutely not question and it is
acient for briefly to bring in mind the established
views OF the Russian socialdemocracy
In principle we have never renounced and cannot
renounce terror This one of the military actions
which may be entirely suitable and even necessary at
certain moment of the battle when the troops are in
certain state, and under certain conditions But the
essence of the matter exactly this that terror is be-
ing proposed at the present time at all as one of