V. I.

Lenin

On the Question of Party Unity [1]

Onour part, we can only welcome the perfectly clear and definite presentation
of the question by the Central Committee—either fusion with the Party on
the basis of the decisions of the Third Congress, or a unity congress. The
Organising Committee will have to make the final choice. If it rejects entry
into the Party on the basis of the decisions of the Third Congress, then the
preparation and elaboration of the terms for a unity congress should be begun at
once. To this end, both sides should first of all declare formally and quite
explicitly that in principle the convening of two congresses at the same time
and in the same place has been deemed necessary; secondly, it should likewise
be formally established that all organisations in each section of the Party must
unreservedly submit to decisions of the congress of their own section. In other
words, both congresses should be of binding and not merely advisory significance
to their respective Party sections; thirdly, the basis on which the congresses
are to be convened should be definitely established in advance, i.e., what
organisations are to send delegates and how many delegates with the right to
vote each may send (for the section of the Party that has recognised the Third
Congress, points 2 and 3 have already been defined in the Rules of the
R.S.D.L.P. as adopted by that congress); fourthly, negotiations should at once
be started on the time and place of the congress (the congresses themselves will
decide as to the terms on which they will fuse, and the time of fusion);
fifthly, it is extremely important that work should at once begin on drawing up
a most explicit and detailed draft proposal on fusion, which should be submitted
for decision to both congresses. This is a matter of imperative necessity. The experience of other parties and of our own shows clearly that
unless a draft proposal or draft proposals for fusion are prepared,
published, and thoroughly discussed beforehand, it will be quite
impossible for the congresses to come to a decision on so difficult a
question.

So,it is now up to the Organising Committee, and its decision will be eagerly
awaited by all who favour unity.

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Notes:
[1]
On the Question of Party Unity —it was under this headline that Proletary , No. 20 of October 10 (September
27), 1905 published the following documents: minutes of the third
conference of representatives of the R.S.D.L.P.’s Central Committee and the
Mensheviks’ Organising Committee as elected at the Geneva Conference, and the
Central Committee’s comments on these minutes. In its appraisal of the
Mensheviks’ behaviour at the joint conference and the demands presented by them,
the Central Committee pointed out that their policy was the same as it had been
prior to the Third Congress, and that it was leading to “the greatest
chaos and anarchy, to the disintegration of the Party”.

Thedocuments were published with a note “From the Editorial
Board” written by Lenin.