V. I.

Lenin

73

To:   G. V. PLEKHANOV

November 1, 1903

Dear Georgi Valentinovich, I am quite unable to calm down on account of the questions that are
worrying us. This delay, this postponement of a decision, is simply dreadful, a
torture....

No, really, I can quite understand your motives and considerations in favour of
a concession to the Martovites. But I am deeply convinced that a concession at
the present time is the most desperate step, leading to a storm and a shindy
far more certainly than would war against the Martovites. This is no
paradox. I not only did not persuade Kurtz to leave but, on the contrary, tried
to persuade him to stay, but he (and Ru) flatly refuses now to work with the
Martovite editorial board. What’s going to happen? In Russia, dozens of
delegates have been travelling all over; even from Nizhni-Novgorod they write
that much has been done by the C.C., transport has been arranged, agents have
been appointed, the announcement is being published , Sokolovsky in the
West, Berg in the centre, and Zemlyachka and lots of others, have all settled
down to work. And now comes the refusal of Kurtz. It means a long break
(in the session and meeting of the whole C.C., now, it seems, already
considerably enlarged). Afterwards, either a struggle of the C.C. against
the Martovite editorial board or the resignation of the whole C.C. Then
you+two Martovites in the Council must co-opt a new C.C. , and this
without election by the Congress, with total disapproval on the part of the
great bulk in Russia, and bewilderment, dis content and refusal on the
part of these agents who have already gone out. Why, this will utterly
discredit the Congress and sow complete discord and cause a scandal in Russia a hundred
thousand times more terrible and dangerous than a scurrilous foreign pamphlet.

We are fed up with discord! That is what they write and scream about in
letters from Russia. And to give way to the Martovites now would mean
legitimising discord in Russia, for in Russia there has not
yet been even a trace of disobedience and revolt. No statements of yours or
mine will now restrain the delegates of the Majority at the Party
Congress. These delegates will create a frightful rumpus.

For the sake of unity, for the sake of the stability of the Party—do
not take this responsibility upon yourself, do not withdraw and do not give
everything away to the Martovites.

Yours,

N. Lenin