LENIN ON ORGANIZATION
be condemned.” And the Congress by an over-
whelming majority of votes, condemned them. The
10th Congress also passed a resolution on Party
unity,—which Lenin supported,—which resolutely
condemned factions and groupings.
The prohibition of factions and groupings does
not imply, of course, the prohibition of the discus-
sion of controversial questions and criticism of the
activity of the leading Party organs. On the con-
trary, in the nuclei, at general meetings, at Party
conferences and congresses, every member has a
right to discuss controversial questions, criticize
the activity of the leading Party organs, and bring
forward his own suggestions. But as the resolution
of the 13th Conference of the R. C. P. says: “Free-
dom of discussion inside the Party under no circum-
stances implies the freedom to undermine Party
discipline. The Central Committee of the Party
and all local Party centres must immediately take
the sternest measures to preserve iron, Bolshevik
discipline everywhere where attempts are being
made to shake it.”
Thus, freedom of criticism must not be converted
into freedom to disturb Party discipline with im-
Punity.
At the 10th Congress Lenin said: “We are not a
debating club. We, of course, can and will publish
collections of articles, special literature, etc., but
We have to fight under most difficult conditions and
therefore we must be combined.”
The discussion of controversial questions is per-
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