discontinue *Rabochaya Mysl* and finally take up serious work on *Iskra*.

Will your plans not harm your work on organizing proper literary collaboration with *Iskra* from Russia—and without this collaboration *Iskra* cannot become a genuine party organ, and do not forget that we have practically no one but you for this task. And if the *Iskra* people do not take this on, then who will and when? Finally, discuss more carefully the question of whether the tasks of explanatory, propagandistic, popular literature aimed at the "middle element" (as you put it) are compatible with the tasks of a newspaper? Special literature for the middle element and for the masses must exist, that is beyond dispute, but these can only be leaflets and pamphlets, because it is impossible to explain every question properly to the middle element in a newspaper. For this one must begin from the start, from first principles and go to the end, chewing over the question from all sides. It is hardly likely that a newspaper is capable of doing this even with ideal provision of literary resources. Do not forget, finally, that your work will have, whether you wish it or not, all-Russian significance, and that talk, notions, theories about special newspapers "for the intelligentsia" and "for workers" can play an extremely harmful role not only independently of your wishes, but even contrary to your personal opposition to them. After all, people like you among Russian Social Democrats are a handful, while in the mass of Russian Social Democrats there is still very, very much of all manner of narrowness. We do not intend, of course, to confine ourselves to these cursory remarks on such an important question, but only ask you not to rush with your decision and to discuss it comprehensively. We consider the preservation of a separate group (the editorial board of *Yuzhny Rabochy*) even desirable, at least until the party congress, but this group ought not to rush with its newspaper.

in the journal

Written 16 September 1902

Sent from London to Kharkov

First published in 1924

*Proletarskaya Revolyutsiya* No. 3

Printed from the manuscript