V. I.

Lenin

The facts of democracy must not make us lose sight of a
circumstance, often overlooked by bourgeois democrats, that in the
capitalist countries representative institutions inevitably give rise to
specific forms in which capital exercises its influence on the state
power. We have no parliament, but then there is no end of parliamentary
cretinism among the liberals and of parliamentary licence among
all the bourgeois deputies.

The workers must thoroughly master this truth if they want to learn how
to use representative institutions for promoting the political
consciousness, unity, activity and efficiency of the working class. All the
social forces hostile to the proletariat—the “bureaucrats”, landowners
and capitalists—are already using these representative institutions
against the workers. One has to know how they are doing this if
one wants to learn to uphold the independent interests of the working class
and its independent development.

The Third Duma decided to award bonuses to home manufacturers of
machinery. Who are these borne manufacturers? The ones “operating” in
Russia!

But upon examination we find that they, are foreign capitalists who
have transferred their plants to Russia. Tariff rates are high and profits
immense, so foreign capital is moving into Russia. For instance,
an American trust—a corporation of capitalist millionaires—has built a
huge farm machinery works in Lyubertsi, near Moscow. In Kharkov, farm
machines are made by the capitalist Melhose and in Berdyansk by the
capitalist John Grieves. These manufacturers are very much of the “truly
Russian”, “home” variety, aren’t they?

But, of course, unless they were helped in every way by Russian
capitalists, they would have been unable to operate in Russia at
all. One good turn deserves another. American, British and German
capitalists rake in profits with the help of Russian capitalists, who get
quite a big share. Take, for example, the Lena gold-fields or the mining
enterprises in the Urals. How many millions foreign and Russian capitalists
have shared between them there!

The Duma is very useful to the industrialists in this respect. Both in
the Duma and in the Council of State, the capitalists have a goodly number
of representatives. The landlords, too, would not amount to much nowadays
with out capital. For both the capitalists and the landlords, the Duma is a
ready-made machinery for passing laws on “bonuses” (to be awarded to themselves ), protective tariffs (i.e., another form of bonuses to
themselves), concessions (a third form of bonuses to themselves), and so
on, without limit .

The “Sceptic”, a liberal writing in the liberal Rech , had
some very apt comments to make on this matter. He writes with so much
feeling against the “nationalists” (who award ed themselves “bonuses”
to stimulate the “home” manufacture of machinery by Messrs. Grieves,
Melhose, Elworthy, and other companies) that I, too, have become somewhat
infected with scepticism.

Yes, the liberal “Sceptic” has not made a bad job of ex posing the
“nationalists”. But why does he say nothing about the Cadets? When
Golovin, for instance, was seeking a concession, did not his position as
member of the Duma and former Chairman of the Duma stand him in
good stead in that useful and lucrative pursuit?

When Maklakov was gobbling up his “Tagiyev” fees, did not his
position as member of the Duma make it easier for him to get such
“profitable” cases? [1]

And what about the numerous other Cadet landlords, merchants,
capitalists, financiers, lawyers and brokers who extended their business,
promoted their “connections”, and put through their “affairs”, thanks
to their position as members of the Duma and to the benefits and advantages
that position affords?

What if an inquiry were made into financial transactions carried out by Duma members or with the aid of Duma members?

But no—in all capitalist countries measures have been taken to
protect “trade secrets” and to guarantee that not a single “parliament” should permit such an inquiry.

However, the working-class deputies undoubtedly know a great deal about
this matter; and if they took pains to look around, obtain additional
Information, collect material, look up newspaper files, inquire at the
stock exchange, etc., they could themselves carry out a very instructive
and useful “inquiry” into the business transactions carried out
by Duma members or with the aid of such members.

In European parliaments, such transactions are well known, and the
workers constantly expose them, naming the persons involved, so as to
enlighten the people.

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Notes:
[1]
This refers to the following facts:

In October 1910 F.A. Golovin, a member of the Third Duma, announced
that he was resigning his powers as a deputy, and shortly afterwards took
an active part in a railway concession.

In March 1912 V.A. Maklakov, another member of the Third Duma, in spite
of his status as a deputy, acted as defence counsel for Tagiyev, a big oil
industrialist of Baku charged with manhandling Bebutov, an engineer
employed by him.