V. I.

Lenin

Who does not know the newspaper Novoye Vremya ? Who does not know that in the course of many a
decade this paper has “earned” for itself the name of defender
of the tsarist regime, defender of the capitalists, Jew-baiter
and hounder of revolutionaries?

Who does not know that all that was honest in Russia always
turned away from Novoye Vremya with indignation and contempt? That this paper, even now, after the revolution, has
not changed its ways by one iota?

And now we have the first elections in a free Russia. On the
first day of the elections Novoye Vremya comes out with
the call: “Put forward the list of the people’s freedom party”.

The fact speaks for itself: all the landowners and capitalists,
all the dark forces, all those who are trying to restore the
tsar, are for the Cadets.

And the Mensheviks and Narodniks have given six ministers as hostages to the Cadets’ ten.

The Mensheviks and Narodniks have allowed themselves to be taken
in by empty promises, not one of which has been kept. Not a single step has been taken by the government to stop the
war, to abandon annexations [1] and to curb the capitalists, who are
making outrageous profits and heading the country for destruction.

The war is dragging on, a debacle is imminent, the capitalists
are making fortunes, the Mensheviks and Narodniks are talking
and threatening, threatening and talking.... But all this falls
on deaf ears—Vaska the Cat (the capitalist) listens but
goes on eating. [2]
1)

Workers and soldiers, all toiling people ! Not a single
vote to the Cadets, not a single vote to the Mensheviks and
Narodniks!

Vote for the Bolsheviks!

---
Notes:
[1]
To publish the secret treaties, to make an open, honest, frank offer of peace to all the nations on
clearly defined terms.
— Lenin

[2]



1) A quotation from
Krylov’s fable “The Cat and the Cook”.

See Note 28.— Ed .