V. I.

Lenin

90

To:   THE ISKRA EDITORIAL BOARD [2]

As the representative of the C.C., I consider it necessary to point out to the
editors that there are absolutely no grounds for raising the question of
lawfulness, etc., on the basis of heated speeches at lectures or on the
basis of literary polemics. The Central Committee as such has never had, and does not
have, the slightest doubt of the lawfulness of the editorial board co-opted, as
Iskra No. 53 quite justly stated, in complete accord with Clause 12 of
the Party Rules. The Central Committee would be ready to state that publicly as
well, if necessary. If the editorial board sees these polemics
as attacks upon itself, it has every opportunity of replying. It is hardly
reasonable to resent what the editorial board regards as sharply worded
statements in the polemic, when no mention is made anywhere of boycott or any
other disloyal (from the viewpoint of the C.C.) form of activity. We would
remind the editorial board that the C.C. has repeatedly expressed its
full readiness to publish, and made a direct proposal to publish ,
immediately both Dan’s letter and Martov’s “Once Again in the
Minority”, without being at all put out by the very sharp attacks to be
found in these documents. In the view of the C.C., it is essential to give all
Party members the widest possible freedom to criticise the central bodies
and to attack them; the C.C. sees nothing terrible in such attacks, provided they
are not accompanied by a boycott, by standing aloof from positive work or by
cutting off financial resources. The Central Committee states even now that it would
publish criticism against itself, seeing in a free exchange... [1]

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Notes:
[1]
The sentence was completed by F. V. Lengnik as follows: “of opinions a
guarantee against possible mistakes on the part of the central
bodies”.— Ed .

[2]
This letter was an insertion to the rough copy of Lengnik’s letter sent in
reply to that of Y. O. Martov.