ON THE BEHAVIOR OF LIQUIDATORS

Our newspaper made a number of mistakes in the Malinovsky case, allowing the liquidators to use them. It is unreasonable to blame us now if you did not wish to use our advice. In our first telegram we wrote: "print: Martov and Dan are slanderers who are afraid to accuse openly "2.

With this the whole line of conduct was given.

You did not print it.

Blame yourself.

There is no and there can be no other way to fight with blackmailers than to demand from them (necessarily bringing to account the exactly named ringleaders, named by name) a direct statement behind their signature with a certain accusation.

We do not believe the liqidatos, we do not believe a single word of it, and we have reasons for this, which have long been stated in the press ("The Two Parties "3 , Kautsky's evaluation of Martov4 and so on).

Therefore, one of two things: either the liquidators continue their anonymous attacks in a dark form. Then we keep silent and ignore them, saying calmly: you are blackmailers, you are hiding both Martov and Dan and your evidence (which you do not have).

Either Martov and Dan, of course they personally (both are legal people), because they are leaders and politically responsible leaders, come forward with their signatures in Russia or in a free country and directly accuse them: then and only then will we bring them to court (the official court of a free country), then and only then will we expose them as slanderers.

Every decent, elementary and honest journalist must know and knows this: either I will make anonymous and dark hints, - then I have the right to be called a blackmailer, a dirty slanderer (as all the trade unions of St. Petersburg and Moscow have called the liquidators).

Or I must have the courage to speak openly and not be afraid of a trial (as Yablonovsky was not afraid of a trial with Cheberyachka5) - then I accuse honestly, as an honest journalist.

Is it clear from this what a tremendous mistake was made by the non-implementation of our first advice, by not printing thatMartoviDan are slanderers who are afraid to accuse openly?

We do not believe a single word of the liquidators and do not talk to them, do not answer them. If they want, let them accuse us with their own signature, so that they can be brought to court. That's the only way.

We will give nothing in reply to the liqidators until Dan and Martov (or Axelrod and Martynov in Switzerland, a free republic) accuse us or Malinovsky openly, with their signatures.

Our vouching for Malinovskoy is expressed in all the articles of the "Puti pravda", for in speaking of nervousness, in condemning him for a disorganizational move, for a run, we thereby recognize political] honesty. This only Dan and Martov could pretend not to understand.

If now Dan and Martov print, let us assume that they know that we knew the rumors. We do not believe Martov and Dan and do not answer them, but say:

These are written by well-known slanderers.

Let them try to publish the documents, name the names: who, where, when, and to whom they reported the rumors.

If they don't, they are slanderers.

If they do, they will be exposed; we will analyze the documents and all the blame will fall on them.

The blackmailer acts by catching fools: I will not speak directly, but you give me a trial, you give me a guarantee, you answer, etc.

We answer: do not give in to the blackmailer's provocation. We Messrs. Martov and Dan, do not believe you, and we do not reply to a single statement of yours, and we say to the workers: do not believe it.

Do you want Messrs. Martov and Dan to talk to you: come forward for the first time with your signature, with definite accusations, with definite documents, names, dates, addresses.

Then we will expose you.

If we had acted in this way (and this is the only correct method), the whole "campaign" of the liquidators would have turned out to be the opposite.

If you don't want to act this way, you will be confused, you will be confused by the liquidators, we are not to blame. It will be your own fault.

The governing institution has always sorted out and dealt with rumors, always noting and denouncing gossip, slander, dirty dark innuendos coming (directly or indirectly) from the liquidators.

We know the liquidators, we have known Martov and Dan for years!

We ask you to read this letter in full to all leading workers.

We have examined M[alinovsko's] "case" and are convinced of the falsity of the rumors.

But we will not talk to the liquidators, but we will force Martov and Danalibo to accuse publicly, openly, with a signature, so that they can be brought to trial (then the slanderer will go to prison: Martov, after all, did not even care about Kautsky's condemnation! Martov and I are not going to the Tretei and Socialistialist courts, but only to the Anakaron court either in Russia or in a free country).

Either, if Martov and Dan are not willing to speak openly, behind their personal signatures, with a direct accusation, then they are simply blackmailers. The workers must and will understand this thing, once it is explained to them, and then there will be an end to the blackmail of Dan and Martov.

There is no other way out.

Whoever doesn't want to do that will be swimming in the mud forever, never coming out of it.

V.I.

P.S. Print this, i.e. type and set read to 10 - 20 - 30 - 50 persons, but keep it out of the paper.

Fund 2, op. 1, d. 23835 - autograph.

1The letter is dated according to the time of publication of the statement "From the All-Russian Leading Institution of Marxists" in the newspaper "Trudovaya Pravda" No. 3, May 31 (June 13), 1914.

2See Doc. 61.

3See doc. 37, note 1.

4See Doc. 37, note 3.

5This refers to the testimony of journalist A.A. Yablonovsky against V. Cheberyak at the trial in Kiev in the case of M.T. Beilis (September-October 1913)