The anniversary of *Pravda* involuntarily turns the thoughts of every conscious worker (and, we would add, every conscious democrat) toward the results of the work of this newspaper by consistent democrats and Marxists.

The question of results naturally connects with the question of whether the advanced workers of Russia, in their masses, stand on the side of *Pravda*. For if for bourgeois subscribers a newspaper is important for the sake of sales—it matters not where it is sold, it matters not whether it unites a particular class and which class—then for a Marxist and for a consistent democrat, a newspaper is important as an organ of enlightenment and consolidation of truly advanced classes.

For us it is not a matter of indifference where and how our newspaper is distributed. For us it is most important to know whether it truly serves the enlightenment and consolidation of the advanced class of Russia, i.e., the working class.

To know this, one must seek out facts capable of answering the question.

Different people understand different things by facts. Bourgeois journalists, without hesitation, lie, bringing forward not a single precise, clear, verifiable fact.

Bourgeois journalists are imitated by liberal worker politicians, the liquidators. One of them, and not "just anyone," but F. D. himself wrote in no. 57 (143) of *Luch*:

"…One cannot deny the fact which we feel with pride (what sensitive people!) in our everyday work, that our newspaper (*Luch*) is truly the organ of nine-tenths of the advanced, conscious workers of Russia."

This Khlestakov or Nozdrev deserves to be laughed at, and *Pravda* has already done so. But mockery alone is not enough. Workers must learn to analyze facts themselves and verify them, so as not to allow themselves or their less developed comrades to be deceived by Nozdrevs.

How then should one seek and verify facts? It would be best of all to know the distribution of *Pravda* and *Luch* among workers (and not among liberal intellectuals, nearly all of whom are liquidators). But such facts do not exist.

Let us seek other facts.

Let us take the data on worker groups that voluntarily support *Pravda* and *Luch* with their monetary contributions. These data are printed in both newspapers. These are facts. Anyone can verify them, anyone, by studying them, can expose the Nozdrevs, of whom there are so many in journalism.

*Pravda* already gave once (see no. 80 for 1912[11]) these facts for half a year, namely for the first half of the year, and no one could refute these facts. We shall now present them for the whole of 1912 and for the beginning of the year.

Every reader can verify these data by taking *Pravda* together with *Luch*, and correct this calculation if he finds errors in it.

These are truly facts, which it is well to distinguish from the boasting and lies of Messrs. F. D. and the other "Luchists."

Is it not splendid how these facts confirm *Luch*'s Nozdrevian reference to 9/10?

The "nine-tenths" of supporters of *Luch*, among whom are admittedly and openly counted Bundists and the "tops" of the Latvians, during more than half a year of *Luch*'s existence (the 4th quarter of 1912 and the 1st of 1913 plus ten days of April) did not consolidate even half of what *Pravda* consolidated together with the future Moscow newspaper. Well, is this not a Nozdrevian trick to turn an admittedly small minority into "nine-tenths"?

Workers are surrounded on all sides by such a sea of lies in bourgeois newspapers that they must at all costs struggle for truth, learn to recognize falsehood and reject it. The erroneous views of the liquidators of the workers' party must be calmly refuted. But the Nozdrevian, brazen lies, shamelessly corrupting the workers, must be branded and the liars driven out of the workers' ranks.

Workers want unity of their action. Workers are right. Without unity of action there is no salvation for workers.

But think how is unity possible without the submission of the minority to the majority? Everyone will understand that without this unity is impossible.

This means that even if the liquidators were not liquidators of the party, workers would necessarily need to know what views have the majority behind them. Not knowing this, workers cannot achieve unity of action (for often both party and non-party workers must act together).

Workers cannot build their party without fighting mercilessly against every lie about it. And to expose lies, one must seek precise facts, verify them, and think through the significance of what has been verified.

Conscious workers, opponents of liquidationism, have won for themselves undisputed primacy in the creation of a workers' press. They have won for themselves an undisputed, overwhelming majority. They will meet every lie spread on this serious and important question with indignation and contempt.

*Pravda* no. 92, 23 April 1913. Signed: K. P.

Printed according to the text of the newspaper *Pravda*