V. I. Lenin

Draft Resolution on the Consolidation of the Party and of Its Unity {1}

Theeditorial board of the Central

Organ {2} recognise that the consolidation of our Party and of its unity
may at the present time be achieved only by the rapprochement ,
which has already begun, between definite factions that are strong
and influential in the practical workers’ movement, and not by moralising
whining for their abolition. Moreover, this rapprochement must
take place and develop on the basis of revolutionary Social-Democratic
tactics and an organisational policy aiming at a determined
struggle against liquidationism both of the “Left” and of the “Right”,
especially against the latter, since “Left” liquidationism, being already
routed, is a lesser danger.

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Notes:
{1}
The “ Draft Resolution on the Consolidation of the Party and of Its Unity ” was moved by Lenin at the meeting of the editorial board of
the Central Organ, Sotsial-Demokrat , on October 21 (November 3),
1909. At this meeting Lenin proposed the publication of an editorial
article “Methods of Consolidating the Party and Its Unity” (so far this
article has not been found). In the article Lenin demanded a determined
fight against liquidationism and upheld the need to preserve and
consolidate the independence of the Bolshevik organisation. The majority of
the editorial board, who were concealed agents of Trotsky (Zinoviev, Kamenev, Varsky), and the
Menshevik Martov, rejected Lenin’s article as an editorial and proposed
that it should be printed over the author’s signature as a contribution to
discussion. Thereupon Lenin raised the general question of consolidating
the Party and its unity for discussion by the editorial board and moved the
draft resolution on this subject. The draft, like Lenin’s article, was
rejected by the conciliatory-liquidationist majority of the editorial
board.

{2}
The Central Organ of the R.S.D.L.P.— Sotsial-Demokrat ( Social Democrat )—was published illegally from February 1908 to
January 1917. Fifty-eight issues appeared; the first issue was printed in
Russia, the rest abroad, in Paris and later in Geneva. In conformity with a
decision of the R.S.D.L.P. Central Committee, the editorial board consisted
of Bolshevik, Menshevik and Polish Social-Democrat representatives. Sotsial-Demokrat published over eighty articles
and shorter items by Lenin. Within the editorial board, Lenin fought for a
consistent Bolshevik line. Part of the editorial board (Kamenev and
Zinoviev) took a conciliatory attitude to wards the liquidators and tried
to prevent Lenin’s policy from being carried out. The Menshevik editors,
Martov and Dan, sabotaged the work of the editorial, board and at the same
time openly defended the liquidators in Golos Sotsial-Demokrata . Lenin’s uncompromising struggle against the
liquidators led to the resignation of Martov and Dan in June 1911, and from
December 1911 onwards Sotsial-Demokrat was edited by Lenin.