END OF SLANDER

We have before us several issues of the Black Hundred newspapers: "Zemshchina", "Russkiy Znam", "Golosa Rusi "1. A collection of the vilest antics against Malinovsky, allusions to Azef, accusations (muffled, from outside, according to "rumors") of provocateurism, caricatures about the fact that he would take the "strike fund" abroad with him, etc., etc., without end.

That the Black Hundred newspapers resorted to such methods, seeing the difficult moment in the life of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Faction, is understandable, it is inevitable, it could not be otherwise.

Unfortunately, not all the workers' truth-tellers have yet realized that the equally despicable methods of Messrs. 2 Having broken away from the workers' party and having renounced the underground, the liquidators had to descend to filthy gossip, insinuations, despicable antics.

This is inevitable.

For they have no other political weapons left.

It is time to stop being naive. It is time for all truth-tellers to understand what the turner Belenin has perfectly understood (No. 89 of "Puti pravda3).

Mártov and Dán began this vile campaign of dark innuendoes, blackmail, etc. while still abroad. Martov wrote a whole pamphlet about it, mainly against Lenin4. This pamphlet was translated into German by Martov and sent to Kautsky.

Kautsky, though now an opponent of Lenin in many respects, called Martov's pamphlet disgusting.

Here is a fact which proves the usual methods of blackmail, meanness, lies and slanders of Mr. Martov!

Kautsky did not understand why, with the approval of Dan, Axelrod and K0, Martov had to resort to this weapon: there was no other choice.

The Black Hundreds and liquidators have no other weapons. Purishkevich and Mr. Martov are two knights of the same weapon.

The liquidators repeated all the filthy hints and dark rumors about Malinovsky, of course, hiding, like all vile cowards, behind the backs of other newspapers and shouting about an "investigation".

Of course, the conscious workers only laugh at the Purishkevichs of liquidationism, at this dirty campaign of Martov and Dan, who want to "sway" the RSDRFaction, having no weapons but gossip, and who only boast about the "investigation." Please "investigate", Messrs. Purishkevich of liquidationism!!!

The bourgeois Kharkov "Utro" apologized when it learned that the rumors about Malinovsky came from the Purishkevites5. This is honest. These are people. And the liquidators are not people, but slime and filth.

Malinovsky did a foolish thing, committed a crime. He is condemned for it. He committed political suicide and added himself: "only political?" All gossip about money is lies and slander. Every penny of the money is intact.

The suicide is clear.

What's there to "investigate"?

Only sneaky Martovs can play and dance, slop and innuendo. They have no other weapons.

All of us, truth-tellers, friends and supporters of the RSDDF, are exhausted and worried: it is not easy to be present, near or far, at the suicide of a nervous man who has reached the point of criminal violation of party discipline. Suicides always hide, flounder. Roman Vatslavovich Malinovsky was hiding and thrashing.... And the enemies of the Black Hundreds and scoundrels dirty scribblers liquidators used unheard of and refined meanness, these days of torment, when hiding and thrashing broken fighter, condemned by his friends and ended his political career ....

I do not know whether there can be a more disgusting picture than this disgusting, despicable poisoning of a suicide by the Martovites and Danes, the stinking insects of liquidationism!

But it is inevitable, comrades-truthful, understand this, for the liquidators have no weapons. Every insect fights with the weapons it has.

Malinovsky is condemned. Malinovsky has committed a crime against discipline. Malinovsky has committed political suicide, having withdrawn entirely from all Party work, having withdrawn himself under the oppression of comradely condemnation....

Let the scoundrels throw a stone at him.

For us, the matter is finished. Malinovsky is buried as a politician and will not rise again soon, if he does.

Let's go! Let us rally around the RSDRF, support it and continue our work. People are perishing, the class is growing, growing in courage, going forward, learning, uniting - both against the enemies and against1* the despicable slanderers of the Martovs and the Danes.

Published with editorial revision by L.B. Kamenev - "Rabochy", No. 4, May 25, 1914.

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 23824 - autograph.

1* Here Lenin's manuscript breaks off, the last words of the sentence are written by L.B.Kamenev

1See doc. 33, note 34.

"Russkoye Znamya" - the organ of the "Union of the Russian People", published in St. Petersburg from November 1905 to 1917.

"Golos Rusi" - a daily political, economic and literary newspaper, published in St. Petersburg from 1914 to 1917.

2See Doc. 53, note 4.

3See Doc. 62, note 8.

4This refers to L. Martov's pamphlet "Saviors or Abolitionists? (Who and How Destroyed the RSDLP)." - see doc. 33, note 34 and doc. 38, note 3.

5See Doc. 62, note 8.