V. I.

Lenin

48

To:   THE KHARKOV COMMITTEE OF THE R.S.D.L.P.

January 15 ( From Lenin.) Dear comrades, many thanks for your detailed letter on the state
of affairs; such letters are rarely written to us although we are in very great
need of them and ten times as many are essential if we really want to establish
a living connection between the editorial board abroad and the local Party
workers, and make Iskra a full reflection of our working-class
movement, both as a whole and as regards particular features of it. We therefore
beg you to continue on the same lines, and at least sometimes to give us
straight pictures of talks with workers (what do they talk about in the circles?
What are their complaints? perplexities? requirements? the subjects of the
talks? and so on and so forth).

The plan of your organisation, apparently, is suitable for a rational organisation of revolutionaries, insofar as
it is possible to say “rational” when there is such a lack of
people, and insofar as we can judge of the plan from a brief
account of it.

Give us more details about the independents. Further questions: Are there no
workers of the “Ivanovo-Voznesensk” school and tradition left in
Kharkov? Are there any persons who once directly belonged to this Economist and
“anti-intellectualist” company or only their successors? Why
don’t you write anything about the “leaflet of workers’ mutual aid
societies”, and why don’t you send it to us? We here have seen only
a handwritten copy of No. 2 of this leaflet. What sort of group is issuing it?
Are they out-and-out Economists or merely green youths? Is it a purely working-class
organisation or is it under the influence of Economist intellectuals?

Are any traces left of the Kharkovsky Proletary [1] group?

Is Iskra read in the workers’ circles? With explanations of the
articles? Which articles are more eagerly read and what kind of explanations
are required?

Is propaganda of secrecy methods and transition to an illegal position
conducted among the workers on a large scale?

Try to make more use of the St. Petersburg Zubatov organisation
and go on sending workers’ letters.

Yours,

Lenin