LENIN ON ORGANIZATION The whole Party must systematically and per- sistently train from among its own ranks suitable people to work in the centre; it must see clearly, as if on the palm of its hand, the whole activity of every candidate for this post; it must become ac- quainted with their individual characteristics, their weak sides and their strong sides, with their vie- tories and with their “defeats.” (1903, November 25, in a letter to “Iskra’). There is not a single political worker who has not experienced defeat at some period of his career, and if we desire to speak seriously about exercising influence upon the masses, about winning the “good will” of the masses, we must exert every effort to prevent these defeats from being concealed in the vitiated atmosphere of study-circle and groups; they must be submitted to the judgment of all. At first sight it would seem that this is not a proper thing to do and that it would give “offence” to this or that leader. But this false sense of propriety must be overcome; it is our duty to the Party and to the working class. By this and this alone will we make it possible for the whole mass (and not a casually selected group or study-circle) of influ-~ ential Party workers to know their leaders and to place each one of them in their proper place. Only wide publicity will rectify all the rigid one-sided, capricious deviations. Only this will convert, what are sometimes stupid and ridiculous “oppositions” 196