From Lenin to Papa

Dear friend! I am in a hurry to reply to your letter, which I liked very, very much. You are a thousand times right that we must act decisively, revolutionarily, and strike while the iron is hot. I also agree that it is necessary to unite precisely the committees of the majority. The necessity of a Russian center and a local organ is now clear to all of us. For the latter, we have already done everything we could. The Rank-and-File is working at full capacity, has attracted participants, is fully committed, and with all his might is seeking a millionaire with considerable chances of success.

Finally, you are a thousand times right also that we must act openly. The disputed question between us concerns only a detail, and it must be discussed calmly, namely: whether it should be a conference of committees or the direct formation of a "Bureau of Majority Committees" (we prefer this name to Organizational Committee, although, of course, the matter is not in the name) so that this bureau would first be recognized by several, and then by all, of the majority committees. You stand for the first, we for the second. If a conference abroad were possible, I would be entirely in favor of it. In Russia, however, it is devilishly dangerous, bureaucratic, and unproductive. Meanwhile, Odessa + Nikolaev + Ekaterinoslav have already agreed and entrusted the "22" to "appoint an Organizational Committee." We responded with a recommendation for the name "Bureau of Majority Committees" and seven candidates (Rusalka, Felix, Zemlyachka, Pavlovich, Gusev, Alekseev, Baron). We are writing about this to Odessa and St. Petersburg.

Alekseev has already gone to you. Would it not be better to conduct the election of candidates through Riga, St. Petersburg + Moscow, and then immediately announce this publicly (we are sending a draft of the announcement*), then go to the Northern Committee, the Caucasus, Saratov, Nizhny, etc., asking them to join and supplementing

* See V. I. Lenin. Collected Works, 5th ed., vol. 9, pp. 66-70. Ed.

the bureau as liberally as possible with a couple of their candidates (although it is not very likely that the joining committees will demand significant additions to the composition of the bureau). I cannot imagine that we would encounter difficulties over the composition of the bureau.

The advantages of such a method: speed, cheapness, safety. These advantages are very important, for speed is everything now. The bureau will be the official organ of the unification of the committees and will in fact fully replace the CC in case of a split. The composition of the literary group for our future CO is also fully outlined (five or six: Rank-and-File, Galerka, I, Schwartz + Lunacharsky + perhaps Bazarov). Take charge of transportation energetically. Here we have adapted a former Bundist who worked a lot on two borders; he promises to arrange the matter for 200-300 rubles a month. We are only waiting for money and then will connect him with you.

The disadvantage of your method: bureaucracy. I consider it completely useless to present ultimatums to the CC and the Council. The CC is hypocritical; I no longer doubt for a second that they have sold out entirely to the minority and are going entirely and unconditionally to rig the congress. There must be no illusions. Now that all the centers are with them, they have a thousand means to rig the congress, and they have already begun to do so. We will prove this in print, analyzing the decisions of the Council (Nos. 73-74 of Iskra, supplement). Of course, we stand and will stand for the congress, but we must proclaim everywhere that they are already rigging the congress and that we will expose the rigging. In fact, I now place the congress in ninth place, and the first place goes to the organ and the Russian center. It is ridiculous to talk about disloyalty when they have directly pushed us into this by entering into a deal with the minority. It is a lie that the secret organization of the minority has been dissolved; no, three members of the CC have entered this secret organization, and that's all. All three centers now constitute a secret organization against the party. Only fools do not see this. We must respond with an open organization and expose their conspiracy.

Please, strengthen everyone's faith in our organization and in the future organ. We just need to wait a little longer until the Rank-and-File finishes his work. Gather and send correspondence (always marked: To Lenin) and materials, especially from workers. We differ on a detail, for, of course, I would be only glad of a conference. But, really, it is not worth the trouble; it is much better to immediately issue an announcement from the bureau, for regarding its personal composition, we can easily come to an agreement, and conflicts on this ground are unlikely. Once the bureau announces itself, it will quickly be recognized, and it will begin to speak on behalf of all the committees. Think about this again carefully and reply as soon as possible.

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Written December 8, 1904

Sent from Geneva to Russia

First published in 1926 in the Lenin Collection V

Printed from the manuscript