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