V. I.

Lenin

Session of the Council of the R.S.D.L.P. (January 1904)

January 15-17 (28-30), 1904

2

Dissenting Opinion Recorded By the
Representatives of the Central Committee, January 17 (30)

Therepresentatives of the Central Committee in the Party Council
consider it their duty to record a dissenting opinion on Comrade
Plekhanov’s resolution.

Therepresentatives of the Central Committee are profoundly convinced
that, far from putting an end to the Party dissensions, which actually
mean a complete split in the Party organisation, this resolution will,
on the contrary, inflame and aggravate them still further, make them
chronic, and further disrupt the Party’s positive work.

Thisresolution is, essentially, nothing but an expression of the
wish of the Party Congress minority to alter the personal composition
of the Central Committee, ignoring the contrary wish of the Party
Congress majority.

Thisresolution, as we are firmly convinced, is essentially a
continuation within the Council of the policy pursued by the
opposition ever since the Party Congress; and that policy has been one
of boycott, disruption and anarchy, with the aim of altering the
composition of the Party’s central bodies by methods which do not
conform in any degree to the standards of normal Party life, and which
have now been condemned, too, by revolutionary public opinion as
expressed in resolutions by the majority of the committees.

Thisresolution expresses the wish that the Central Committee should
again enter into negotiations with the opposition. Negotiations have
already been going on for over five months, causing complete
demoralisation in the Party’s ranks. The Central Committee has already
stated that it said its last word when it consented, as far back as November
25,1903, to the co-optation of two in token of comradely confidence.

Thenegotiations have already entailed a tremendous expenditure of
funds for travelling and an even more serious expenditure of the time
and energy of revolutionaries, who have been diverted from their work.

Therepresentatives of the Central Committee do not feel justified in
again renewing these interminable negotiations, which produce fresh
dissatisfaction on both sides and fresh contention over posts,
hampering positive work in the most appalling way.

Wemost earnestly draw attention to the fact that such negotiations
involve a complete interruption of the normal course of Party life.

Wedeclare that the Central Committee lays the entire responsibility
for these interruptions at the door of the minority.

Wedeclare that we positively and absolutely fail to see any other
honest and proper solution to the present dissensions in the Party,
any other way of terminating this unpardonable struggle over the
composition of the central bodies, than by the immediate convening of
a Party Congress.

Atthe same time we feel that, now that Comrade Plekhanov’s
resolution has been adopted, our own earlier resolution has in effect
been nullified and has become quite pointless, for which reason we
withdraw it.

Councilmembers

N. Lenin

F. Vasilyev

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