V. I.

Lenin

The Sixth (Prague) All-Russia Conference of the R.S.D.L.P.

JANUARY 5–17 (18–30), 1912

THE SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC GROUP IN THE DUMA

This Conference recognises that the Social-Democratic group in the Duma
made use of the Duma platform in accordance with the line defined by the
December (1908) Party Conference, which must remain the guide for the
direction of Party work in the Duma.

The Conference, in particular, regards as consistent with the tasks of
the proletariat that aspect of the group’s activities that it has
energetically defended the interests of the workers and all measures for
improving their lot (for in stance, the labour bills) and in so doing has
endeavoured to show all the partial tasks in their relation to the general
aims of the liberation movement led by the proletariat, and points to the mass movement as the only way to rid Russia of the
sufferings and shame to which she has been brought by tsarism.

The Conference welcomes the beginning of open actions by the workers in
connection with the praiseworthy behaviour of the Social-Democratic group
in the Duma, which in the reactionary Duma raised the banner of the
Social-Democratic deputies to the Second Duma and exposed to the workers of
the entire world all the provocative filth of the Black-Hundred tsarist
gang that organised the government coup d’état of 1907. The
Conference calls on all class-conscious workers in Russia to give
wholehearted support to the speeches of the Social-Democrats in the Third
Duma, and the campaign of proletarian meetings commenced by the
St. Petersburg workers.

The Conference recognises that in view of the forthcoming election
campaign to the Fourth Duma, the Social-Democratic Duma group must devote
still more attention to explaining to the people the class essence of the
non-proletarian parties (and in particular to exposing the
counter-revolutionary and treacherous nature of the Cadet Party) being
guided by the resolution of the London (1907) Congress, which in all its
significant sections has been confirmed by the experience of the period of
counter-revolution. Further more, the central slogans, which must be common
to all statements made by members of the Social-Democratic group, must
determine the nature of its work and concentrate all its partial demands
and reforms on the main points, should be the following three slogans: (1)
a democratic republic, (2) the eight-hour day, (3) confiscation of all
landed estates and their transfer to the peasantry.