Dear Colleague,

I have received your letter about the "urgent matter" and, I confess, read it with a feeling of sadness. It is clearly evident from it that we lack sufficient mutual understanding in the "urgent matter", which is especially necessary, as in every serious matter.

And the matter is indeed serious and—I agree with you—urgent (not in the sense of a few days, of course). To create mutual understanding here, it would be necessary to meet, it would be worth 4-5 days and 11 + 11 + 15 + 10 = 47 rubles in all...

All that I can do now in fulfilment of your request, I am doing. I am sending the article "On the Election Platform".\(^{93}\) You will see, I hope, my views clearly from this article.

Regarding changes in it, I must set special conditions (ordinarily I do not set them, as you know, relying fully on a comradely, collegial, and not a quibbling attitude). These special conditions are necessary for me here, for the question is of enormous importance, a fundamental, principled question.

I can agree only to (1) the removal of the subtitle and (2) minimal censorship (only!!) corrections in three or four places, corrections of individual words, nothing more. If even then it cannot be placed either in *Pravda* or in *Nevskaya Zvezda*, return the article, I need it. I cannot agree to the deletion of the mention of the liquidators.

The whole crux of the question here is that the liquidators are setting a trap: "give us an open platform" (while the liquidator thinks to himself: I'll sign anything in an open platform).

And indeed, the liquidator will sign anything in an open platform!! And it will not be a platform, not a serious matter, but vulgar chatter, a list of "reforms", a competition with the liberals on their ground, for every liberal (right up to Trubetskoy) now, 6-8 weeks before the elections, will sign anything!! The liberals and liquidators will all sign anything, if only they are elected to the Fourth Duma.

Here one must understand the principled crux of the question and not be embarrassed by the somewhat "unusual", "unsuitable" (for *Pravda*) expressions, polemics, etc. The mass of workers will perfectly understand the spirit ("don't hack it to pieces"), and that is the whole point. Everyone will understand why the concoction of open platforms in June Third Russia 6-8 weeks before the elections is ridiculous, stupid, vulgar, even base. And that is the point.

Placed as a feuilleton in *Pravda*, even in small type, such an article will at once take up a position and kill the adventurism of the concoctors of open platforms, kill their demagogy: "say openly what you believe." Did not Katkov ask in the same way: "say openly that you recognise the autocracy"?

Much has fallen on *Pravda* in the elections, and much will be demanded of it. It would be a scandal if *Pravda* were ridiculed from the Left for concocting open platforms. *Pravda* in fact has a leading position. It must be upheld with honour. It is necessary to say clearly, calmly and firmly: against the liquidators. And at once the pack of these petty liberals will be killed.

Let them put up their own list: they will not dare, for they will be terribly disgraced!! I await a speedy reply.

With greetings. Yours, V. Ulyanov

Written before August 1, 1912

Sent from Cracow to St. Petersburg

First published in 1950

in the 4th edition of the Collected Works

of V. I. Lenin, Vol. 35

Printed from the manuscript