LENIN ON ORGANIZATION 
cratic tendencies which are being displayed in the 
ranks of our Party” (“Two Congresses,” p. 18). 
Exactly how the “Rabochie Delo” is combatting 
the “anti-democratic tendencies” of “Iskra” we will 
see in the next chapter. For the present let us 
examine a little more closely the “principle” 
advanced by the economists. REverybody will agree 
we suppose, that the “broad democratic principle” 
implies the two following essential conditions: 
firstly, complete publicity, and secondly, election to 
all posts. It is ridiculous to talk of democracy 
without publicity; and the publicity must not be 
confined to members of the organization only. We 
call the German Socialist Party a democratic organ- 
ization because everything in it is done openly, even 
the party congresses are held openly, but nobody 
would call an organization which is shut off from 
non-members by a veil of secrecy a democratic 
organization. It will be asked, what is the sense 
of advocating the “broad democratic principle” in 
a secret organization when the fundamental condi- 
tion of that principle cannot be fulfilled? “Broad 
principle” is a high-sounding, but empty phrase. 
But that is not all. The phrase reveals a complete 
failure to understand the essential tasks of the 
moment in the sphere of organization. Everybody 
knows to what extent conspiracy is lacking among 
the “broad” masses of our revolutionaries. We 
have seen how bitterly B-v. complains of this, justly 
demanding a “strict selection of members” (‘“Ra- 
bochie Delo,” No. 6, p. 42). And here we have 
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