V. I.

Lenin

The Bourgeoisie’s Censures and the Proletariat’s Call for Action

Thedebate in the State Duma on the reports of the Belostok pogrom is drawing
to a close. The government’s crimes have been disclosed with the fullest and in
some cases, one might say, with pedantic accuracy. The unanimity of the State
Duma in condemning the vile conduct of the local and central
authorities seemed to have been complete.
People who are capable of saying that the Duma “combines the struggle of
classes into one struggle” might have exulted over such unanimity.

Butas soon as matters reached the stage of practical conclusions in regard to the measures necessary to combat the vile
crimes of the gang of pogrom-mongers, this sham and superficial unanimity was at
once scattered like dust. It at once became apparent that however much the
“struggle of classes is combined into one struggle” the bourgeoisie
and the proletariat are pursuing essentially different aims in their
struggle for emancipation. The bourgeoisie wants to “censure” the
government so as to be able to set to work itself to subdue the
revolution. The proletariat wants to call upon the people to wage a
revolutionary struggle.

Thisdifference was clearly revealed in the two resolutions that were proposed
in connection with the Belostok pogrom. The formula of the bourgeoisie (the
Constitutional-Democratic Party):

1) trounces the government;

2) demands the resignation of the Cabinet; and

3) emphasises that “the
government is conscious of its powerlessness to combat the
revolution”. The bourgeoisie wants a strong government to combat the revolution .

Theformula of the proletariat (the Social-Democratic Party) is different. It:

1) trounces the government—it is to this
“unanimity” of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie that
simpletons in politics usually confine their attention;

2) declares that
“the only way to protect the lives and property of citizens
is by arming the people itself ”;

3) “calls upon the
people to take the protection of their lives and property into their own hands ”, and to “ resist national
persecution”.

Thesetwo different formulas clearly reveal the difference in the
interests of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie wants
to extinguish the revolution. The proletariat wants to arm the revolution. The
bourgeoisie is longing to impeach the bureaucrats. The proletariat is appealing
to the justice of the people (“these criminals and their protectors will not elude the justice of the people”—as is stated in
the motion of our Social-Democratic Group in the Duma). The bourgeoisie is
appealing only to the Ministers , appealing to them to yield.
The proletariat is appealing to the people , calling them to arm and
resist .

Ourcomrades in the Duma have struck the right note on this question. We hope
that they will continue to counter- pose the declarations of the revolutionary
proletariat to the phrase-mongering of the opportunist bourgeoisie as clearly,
distinctly and relentlessly as they have done on this occasion,

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