V. I.

Lenin

A Reply to the Liquidators [1]

The liquidators of Nevsky Golos are doing their utmost to disrupt the unity of the workers’ elections in
St. Petersburg. They will fail. Hypocritical shouts about “unity”
( coming from liquidators !! ) cannot deceive anyone.

The unity of the working-class democracy is certain.

The workers do not follow the lead of those who liquidate the workers’
democratic Party and merely promise to replace it by an open “party”
pursuing a liberal labour policy. Unity of the mass of the workers and not
“agreement”, to the detriment of this unity, with the circles of
liquidationist splitters from among the intelligentsia—this is what the
politically-conscious workers want. And

Pravda [2] is following this slogan.

We are not put out by the unworthy sallies of the liquidators, who are
openly asking where to “find” that which does not make a boast of being “open”. Draw up your “open” platform, gentlemen, found
your new, “open” party—and a good riddance to you!

P.S. I earnestly ask you to answer me immediately, or as soon as
possible, on the matter I have raised here. Keeping silent will not do . You can spoil everything and evoke protests from the workers
on the left by keeping silent about this. The liquidators must be
rebuffed. We cannot conduct an election campaign without saying
for whom we are doing it (people might think it is for the benefit
of the liquidators).

If you do not want to aggravate and spoil everything “on the
left”, publish this “reply to the liquidators”. If you do not
publish it, send this sheet back to me without delay . It is
important to me!