Published:
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
Progress Publishers,
1977,
Moscow,
Volume 41,
pages 108-110.
Translated: Yuri Sdobnikov
Transcription\Markup:
R. Cymbala
Copyleft:
V. I. Lenin Internet Archive (www.marxists.org)
© 2004
Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the
terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
L e n i n raises a point of order and, when given the floor, motions a discussion of the question of the measures which could help to restore peace in the Party and normal relations between members of the Party who do not see eye to eye.
| First published in full in 1929 in Lenin Miscellany X | |
| Printed from the minutes (with Lenin’s corrections) |
L e n i n insists that his resolution should be put to the vote first{2} and refers to the existing custom giving voting priority to the resolution which was motioned earlier.
The right of introducing minority opinions has always been recognised as a part of the order of business. Comrade Martov made an attempt to separate the general from the particular.{3} I quite agree with this, but I merely give a somewhat different wording to his proposal.
| First published in full in 1929 in Lenin Miscellany X | |
| Printed from the minutes (with Lenin’s corrections) |
L e n i n (reads out his resolution): “To establish peace in the Party and normal relations between differing members of the Party there is need for the Party Council to explain which forms of the internal Party struggle are correct and admissible and which are incorrect and inadmissible.”
| Published in 1904 in the pamphlet, N. Shakhov, Borba za syezd (Struggle for the Congress), Geneva | |
| Printed from the minutes verified with the original |
A rule has been established in the practice of all congresses in virtue of which those voting have the right to record their minority opinions. Of course, every minority opinion is essentially a kind of criticism. But this circumstance did not, after all, prevent the entry at the Second Congress of a minority opinion issued by the Bund representatives, an opinion which was the sharpest kind of criticism levelled at the decision adopted by the Congress. Our minority opinion sets out the motives for which we opposed Comrade Plekhanov’s proposal and in general our attitude to this proposal. It is the more necessary to read out this minority opinion because at the end of it there is a motivated statement to the effect that we withdraw our resolution.
| First published in full in 1929 in Lenin Miscellany X | |
| Printed from the minutes (with Lenin’s corrections) |
I resolutely protest against the idea that our minority opinion contained any accusations levelled at the Council. Such an interpretation is entirely wrong and Comrade Martov’s attempt is an encroachment on our freedom of expression; his resolution is therefore unwarranted.{4}
| First published in full in 1929 in Lenin Miscellany X | |
| Printed from the minutes (with Lenin’s corrections) |
The representatives of the C.C. would like to move several other small points for discussion, but I request that the question of convening a Party congress should be placed on the order paper beforehand.
| First published in full in 1929 in Lenin Miscellany X | |
| Printed from the minutes (with Lenin’s corrections) |
The Party Council considers it improper for the representatives of the C.O. Editorial Board to communicate to the Secretary of the C.O. Comrade Vasilyev’s opinion of him, because this opinion was submitted to the members of the Council only, being a part of the meetings within the Party’s supreme body.
| First published in full in 1929 in Lenin Miscellany X | |
| Printed from the minutes (with Lenin’s corrections) |
{1} The R.S.D.L.P. Council, which met at Geneva from January 15 (28) to 17 (30), 1904, was “called on the initiative of the C.O. representatives for the purpose of discussing measures to co-ordinate the activity of the C.C. and the C.O. in the publication of Party literature” (Lenin Miscellany X, p. 181—minutes of the Council’s sittings). The Council’s sittings were attended by V. I. Lenin, F. V. Lengnik, 0. V. Plekhanov, P. B. Axelrod and L. Martov.
On a motion by Lenin, the Party Council decided to include in the agenda and to discuss first the question of measures to restore peace in the Party. On behalf of the Central Committee, Lenin motioned a draft resolution on the question on January 15 (28) (see present edition, Vol. 7, pp. 147–49). When the debate showed the Mensheviks’ negative attitude to the resolution, Lenin and Lengnik motioned another draft resolution on restoring peace in the Party on January 16 (29) (see p. 109), which was adopted by the Council by three votes (Lenin, Lengnik and Plekhanov) to two (Martov and Axelrod). But instead of proceeding to a concrete discussion of the question of restoring peace in the Party, the Council, over Lenin’s protest, went to vote Plekhanov’s resolution demanding the co-optation of the Mensheviks to the Central Committee. The resolution was adopted by the votes of Plekhanov, Martov and Axelrod. Accordingly, the C.C. representatives (Lenin and Lengnik) entered a minority opinion on January 17 (30) censuring Plekhanov’s resolution which ignored the will of the majority at the Party’s Second Congress. The minority opinion was written by Lenin (see present edition, Vol. 7, pp. 150–53).
When the Mensheviks had frustrated every effort to establish peace in the Party, Lenin motioned a draft resolution on the convocation of the Party’s Third Congress as the only way out of the situation (see present edition, Vol. 7, p. 154). By the votes of Plekhanov, Martov and Axelrod, this resolution was rejected and one by Martov against the convocation of the Party congress adopted.
Nor was any agreement reached between the representatives of the C.C. and the Mensheviks on the publication of Party literature. The Party Council rejected the resolutions on this question motioned by Lenin and adopted the resolutions approving of the factional and disorganising activity of the Editorial Board of the Menshevik Iskra.
The Council’s January sittings showed that with Plekhanov’s switch to the Mensheviks’ side, the R.S.D.L.P. Council became an instrument in the Menshevik fight against the Party. p. 108
{2} A reference to the draft resolution on measures to restore peace in the Party. Lenin insisted that his resolution should be put to the vote before Plekhanov’s, who was proposing the co-optation of Mensheviks to the R.S.D.L.P. Central Committee. p. 108
{3} A reference to Martov’s speech on the voting of the resolutions motioned by Lenin and by Plekhanov. While admitting that Lenin had the legitimate right to demand that his resolution should be voted on first, Martov nevertheless proposed the following change in the approach to the question: 1) Is it necessary to issue a call to all the members of the Party? 2) Plekhanov’s concrete proposal. p. 108
{4} Martov’s resolution was aimed against the minority opinion entered on January 17 (30), 1904, by the C.C. representatives Lenin and Lengnik over the Party Council’s resolution motioned by Plekhanov on the co-optation of Mensheviks to the R.S.D.L.P. Central Committee (see present edition, Vol. 7, pp. 150–53). In his resolution Martov proposed that Lenin and Lengnik should be censured for entering their minority opinion. In the course of the debate that followed, Martov was forced to withdraw his resolution and to adhere to Plekhanov’s resolution, which was somewhat different in form, and which was adopted by the Menshevik votes. p. 110
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