The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-13
The Paris Commune and the Problems
of the Democratic Dictatorship
[3v Lenin


july 1906 and published in the "Proletarian"
July q. Mskra" was in the hands of the Menshe-
viks Of whose foremost mouthpieces was Mar
tinov (who, some years ago. recognized his mis-
takes and entered the Communist Party0 It is
curious to note that the Menshevks were against
participation in the revolutionary government to-
gether with the petty bourgeois revoutionists,
and Lenn was in favor Of it. The irony Of history
showed in 1912 that the Mensheviks participated
in the fake revolutionary government and Lenin
showed in practice what he had meant by his
slogans.
THE position of 'Iskra" on the question of the
: admissibility of the socialdemocrats taking
part in the provisional government is one of the
utmost confusion In favorable circumstances
there will be possible even in the opinion of the
disciples of Martinov, such a swing of the revolu-
ton, as will serve as immediate preface to-
the grand social revolution, but the party
itself, its will, its work, its plans seems
to be unprepared. "Have faith in god but
don't make mistakes yourself" says the
proverb which aims to make religious fatalism
less harmful. "Have faith in circumstances, in
the processes of history" we say, "but don't make
mistakes yourselfw Otherwise you will become
an economic fatalist, but not a social-democratic
revolutionist. In the resolution of the Menshe-
vik conference, [ read "Only in one event should
the social-democrats on their oiCn initiative di-
rect their efforts toward Selling power and keep
ing it in their hands as long possible-namely,
in the event that the revolution spreads to the
foremost countries Of Western Europe, in which
conditions have already reached a degree of ripe
ness for the realization of socialism"
First of all, you unwillingy ask yourself Is it
possible to "direct your efforts" toward some
thing without your own initiative? And second
suppose turn this phrase about as follows:
''Only in one event will the revolution in Russia
spread to the foremost countries of Western Eu-
rope if the socialdemocratic labor party of
Russia succeeds in seizing power and keeping it
in its hands for long time" If you are making
suppostions, why not that? The maximum of
energy is never harmful. But, by the way. no
body has spoken of the seizure of power by the
party. There has been only the question of par
ucipating if possible leading part in the revo.
iutlon,-at such moment as the power will be
IN It's hands IF such moment comes and when
there will be attempts to wrest it AWAY
In connection with the question of the passi
bility and the permissibility of such democratic
dictatorship of the proletariat it is interesting
70 make some historical inquiry into the Paris
Commune, which was a revolutionary power and
made the revolution not only from below but even
from above.
was the Paris Commune the dictatorship of
me proletarlat? Enges' introduction to the third
edition OF Marx, "The Civil War in France. .
ends with these words: "In recent times the
Phlllstines again began to display horror at the
words, the proletarian Dictatorship Would YOU
know, worthy gentlemen, what this dictatorship
is! Look at the Paris Commune. That acas the
proietarian Dictatorship"
But there are relationships and relationships
Perhaps this was the real, pure, proetarian die
tatorship in the sense Of the pure social-demo-
cratic makeup of its membership and the char
acter oil Its practical tasks? Not at all. The
: conscious proetariat land at that only more o..
less consciously, that is, the members Of the Inter
national, were in the minority; the majority in
the government was composed of representatives.
OF petty-bonrgeois democrats. One of the latest
investigators Gustav Eek says it quite uneouiv.
ocally In the central committee of the national
guard, for instance, there were 35 members and
IN all two socialists that is memhnru &c 4hn n.