The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-06-19
Stain of the Centre
(New York Times)

It is frequently true that heresy Of today is orthodoxy
tomorrow. In Soviet Russia under the rule of Joseph
stain the statement must be revised to say that there
heresy of today Is the creed Of tomorrow and the heresy
again of the day after. The communist regime in Rus
saa ma mas been been accused BY It's enemies Of defeating itself
formula. But there will be few to deny that, il the
communist creed Is hardset, the communist record of
- years IN power has been q series Of extraordinary
improvisations. Including Lenin himself, it has been a
record OF policy Of living from hand to mouth. In part
rnas IS implicit 'tss,t IN nav the very nature IA Of policy" and would
which must always seek to reconcile the ideal with the
facts. In the case Of Soviet Russia. the gap between the
ward rural country is being called upon to be the first to
vindicate socialism, which is primarily an industrial
5 philosophy n.y. Hence the strategic retreats. the forward
oy outcries OF alarm, ever since Lenin ordered the first
retreat In 1921. The latest instance has been afforded
the destruction Of the rich peasants. Within less than
three months he was denouncing "excesses" against the
peasants.
Local and regional conferences Of the communist
party In preparation for the biennial An-soviet con-
eress OF the communist party at the end Of this week
where being passed In support Of the Stain Line" or
policy and against the heresies of the Right and the Left.
the latter thinks Stain has not been going fast enough
IN !eveiing down the peasantry. The Right holds that
stain has been riding too hard. The Right comprises
such very respectable figures as Kalinin, the president"
dent Of the Soviet Union Council of Commissars: Tomsky,
the late head Of the labor unions, and Bukharin, the late
editor OF Pravda. Though the Stain machine is operat-
ing with q smoothness that makes their case at the
party congress hopeless, the men Of the Right. accord
ing to our Moscow correspondent. are preparing to get
up and ask why they are being stigmatized as heretics
when Stain in his latest retreat has adopted their
policy.
Probably the men Of the Right are not 50 bewildered
as they sound. It is no novelty to them to see politics
IN Russia denounced Is heresies and put into practice
very soon after the punishment Of the heretics. This is
what happened to Trotsky three years ago when he de-
uanded greater pressure upon the peasants. This i
what happened last year to the Right who insisted that
the peasants were being maltreated. Stain in the Centre
has held power since Lenin,s death not entirely be-
recognizing the moment for pressing down the left pedal.
the right pedal. or combining himself to the keyboard.
Where the necessities Of the case compel sustained i'm
provisation, the man 50 endowed is the designated win
ner. Last winter the rough way with the peasant was
up and the Right was down. Today the gentler way
with the peasant is up and the Left is down. But il
the spring sowing is good and the harvest is successful,
the Left Is pretty sure to be up again, and another ruth
less war against the rich peasant will be under way
until the next planting season.