This platform is being circulated solely for the information of all concerned—especially those who drafted it. The time has come to abandon…

* This postscript was penned by V. I. Lenin on a copy of the leaflet “Electoral Platform of the RSDLP” (see Collected Works, 5th ed., Volume 21, pp. 176–182), which had been sent to the editorial office of the newspaper “Zvezda.” Ed.

G. K. ORDJONIKIDZE, S. S. SPANDARYAN, E. D. STASOVA

the drafting of the platform—particularly when the Central Committee has already approved and published it (a notice to this effect has already appeared in Russia, but we possess only a single copy and are unable to send it out; therefore, we are transcribing it and forwarding a copy). It would be especially foolish to concoct legal platforms. All articles concerning the platform—and indeed any and every piece written on the “foundations of the platform”—must be printed with the author’s signature and clearly marked as an experimental commentary.

In particular, I would strongly, strongly advise the esteemed collegium not to approve any platform whatsoever. To have a platform endorsed by anyone other than the Central Committee is nothing short of a liquidationist scheme! Moreover, from the standpoint of substantive policy, the approval of a platform by the collegium will bring no real benefit. Let the collegium either endorse this platform—or remain silent.

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Written on March 26, 1912

Sent from Paris to St. Petersburg

First published in 1948 in the 4th edition of the Collected Works of V. I. Lenin, Volume 17

Printed from the manuscript