V. I.

Lenin

144

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

From Lenin to the Members of the C.C.

August 14, 1905

Dear friends, I have just read in Iskra No. 107 the minutes of the meeting of July
12, 1905, between the C.C. and the Organisation
Committee. [1] It is most regrettable that so far the promised minutes have not been
received from you. There have been no letters either. Really, it is impossible
to work in this way. I knew nothing about the plan to issue the “Open
Letter” or the plan of negotiations, or the plan for some sort of
concessions. Is such an attitude to a member of the collegium permissible?
Think of the position you put me in! The position is absolutely impossible, for
it is precisely here, abroad, that I have to answer everybody frankly—you
will admit this yourself on calm reflection.

Your reply to the Organisation Committee gives rise to a number of
perplexities. I can’t make out whether you are trying to be cunning or
what? Can you have forgotten that there is the straightforward resolution of the
Third Congress that the terms 6f unification must be endorsed by a new congress?
How could one talk seriously of co-opting to the C.C. when there are two rival
organs? How could one leave unanswered the toleration of two central organs,
i.e., a complete violation both of the Rules and of the decisions of the Third
Congress? How was it possible not to present the Mensheviks with a principled
ultimatum on the organisational question: (1) congresses instead of
plebiscites as the supreme organ of the Party; (2) unconditional subordination
of Party literature to the Party; (3) direct elections to the C.C.; (4) subordination of the minority to the majority, etc.?

Haven’t you taken warning from the unfortunate exam pie of the
transportation “agreement”, which was immediately wrecked by
Frockcoat, causing so much fresh bitterness? [2] Nothing can do such
harm to the cause of future unity as a fictitious agreement which satisfies no
one and leaves grounds for a struggle; such an “agreement” will
inevitably lead to a new rupture and redoubled bitterness!

Or are you being cunning? Are you hoping to “take in” the
Organisation Committee, or to set the Mensheviks in Russia at loggerheads with
those abroad? Has there not been sufficient experience on this score, proving
the futility of such attempts?

I repeat in all seriousness: you are putting me in an impossible
position. I am not exaggerating. I earnestly request you to answer these
questions: 1) shall we have the meeting on September 1, as we
decided, or have you rescinded this decision? 2) if you have rescinded it, then
how, when and where will your meeting (of C.C. members) be held and what
measures do you intend to take to enable me to cast my vote and (what is
much more important) discover your real intentions. A meeting
is devilishly necessary on a thousand matters. We have no money. The
Germans, for some reason, are not giving any. If you do not send 3,000 rubles,
we shall go under. Practically all the minutes have been set
up, [3] 1,500 rubles are needed for the publication. The treasury is empty as
never before.

What is this resolution of the Orel-Bryansk Committee? ( Iskra
No. 106.) [4] There is some muddle here. For heaven’s sake, tell us what you know. Couldn’t someone be sent
there—Lyubich from Voronezh, for example?