登陆注册
5382300000288

第288章 CHAPTER XXXVII(2)

Then arose, all along the line of the defeated, decimated revolutionists, the cry, "What is to be done?" Some replied that the shattered organisation should be reconstructed, and a number of secret agents were sent successively from Switzerland for this purpose. But their efforts, as they themselves confessed, were fruitless, and despondency seemed to be settling down permanently on all, except a few fanatics, when a voice was heard calling on the fugitives to rally round a new banner and carry on the struggle by entirely new methods. The voice came from a revolutionologist (if I may use such a term) of remarkable talent, called M.

Plekhanof, who had settled in Geneva with a little circle of friends, calling themselves the "Labour Emancipation Group." His views were expounded in a series of interesting publications, the first of which was a brochure entitled "Socialism and the Political Struggle," published in 1883.

According to M. Plekhanof and his group the revolutionary movement had been conducted up to that moment on altogether wrong lines.

All previous revolutionary groups had acted on the assumption that the political revolution and the economic reorganisation of society must be effected simultaneously, and consequently they had rejected contemptuously all proposals for reforms, however radical, of a merely political kind. These had been considered, as I have mentioned in a previous chapter, not only as worthless, but as positively prejudicial to the interests of the working classes, because so-called political liberties and parliamentary government would be sure to consolidate the domination of the bourgeoisie.

That such has generally been the immediate effect of parliamentary institutions is undeniable, but it did not follow that the creation of such institutions should be opposed. On the contrary, they ought to be welcomed, not merely because, as some revolutionists had already pointed out, propaganda and agitation could be more easily carried on under a constitutional regime, but because constitutionalism is certainly the most convenient, and perhaps the only, road by which the socialistic ideal can ultimately be attained. This is a dark saying, but it will become clearer when I

have explained, according to the new apostles, a second error into which their predecessors had fallen.

That second error was the assumption that all true friends of the people, whether Conservatives, Liberals, or revolutionaries, ought to oppose to the utmost the development of capitalism. In the light of Karl Marx's discoveries in economic science every one must recognise this to be an egregious mistake. That great authority, it was said, had proved that the development of capitalism was irresistible, and his conclusions had been confirmed by the recent history of Russia, for all the economic progress made during the last half century had been on capitalist lines.

Even if it were possible to arrest the capitalist movement, it is not desirable from the revolutionary point of view. In support of this thesis Karl Marx is again cited. He has shown that capitalism, though an evil in itself, is a necessary stage of economic and social progress. At first it is prejudicial to the interests of the working classes, but in the long run it benefits them, because the ever-growing proletariat must, whether it desires it or not, become a political party, and as a political party it must one day break the domination of the bourgeoisie. As soon as it has obtained the predominant political power, it will confiscate, for the public good, the instruments of production--

factories, foundries, machines, etc.--by expropriating the capitalist. In this way all the profits which accrue from production on a large scale, and which at present go into the pockets of the capitalists, will be distributed equally among the workmen.

Thus began a new phase of the revolutionary movement, and, like all previous phases, it remained for some years in the academic stage, during which there were endless discussions on theoretical and practical questions. Lavroff, the prophet of the old propaganda, treated the new ideas "with grandfatherly severity," and Tikhomirof, the leading representative of the moribund Narodnaya Volya, which had prepared the acts of terrorism, maintained stoutly that the West European methods recommended by Plekhanof were inapplicable to Russia. The Plekhanof group replied in a long series of publications, partly original and partly translations from Marx and Engels, explaining the doctrines and aims of the Social Democrats.

Seven years were spent in this academic literary activity--a period of comparative repose for the Russian secret police--and about 1890

the propagandists of the new school began to work cautiously in St.

Petersburg. At first they confined themselves to forming little secret circles for making converts, and they found that the ground had been to some extent prepared for the seed which they had to sow. The workmen were discontented, and some of the more intelligent amongst them who had formerly been in touch with the propagandists of the older generation had learned that there was an ingenious and effective means of getting their grievances redressed. How was that possible? By combination and strikes.

For the uneducated workers this was an important discovery, and they soon began to put the suggested remedy to a practical test.

同类推荐
  • 法华义记

    法华义记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 千乘

    千乘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 缁门警训

    缁门警训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Origins of Contemporary France

    The Origins of Contemporary France

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 般若心经略疏

    般若心经略疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 你是我的暖暖时光

    你是我的暖暖时光

    表白失败,她错惹上自家英俊妖孽又多金的腹黑BOSS,从此小秘书开始啼笑皆非的还债之路。一场意外,小秘书壮胆偷逃……再相遇,他将她堵在墙角,邪肆的笑,“小东西,债没还完就跑,现在翻倍!”
  • 太上洞玄灵宝出家因缘经

    太上洞玄灵宝出家因缘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一千零一夜(中)

    一千零一夜(中)

    《一千零一夜》里的故事不是某个作家独创的,也不是在一时一地形成的,而是中近东地区的广大市井艺人、文人学士经过几百年搜集、提炼、加工形成的,是阿拉伯和波斯湾地区各族人民聪明才智的结晶。
  • 梦幻之巅

    梦幻之巅

    <神秘未知的浩瀚大陆,奇幻纵横的远古大穹,犬牙交错的势力争斗之中总有着两大神殿的身影。无尽海洋是这个世界的主旋律,十大家族的争斗主宰着大陆,世界谁与争霸?凌风,修罗血族后裔,天生八系体质,如何踏上上大陆的巅峰,梦幻般的存在?-
  • 玄灵转经早朝行道仪

    玄灵转经早朝行道仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 萌系相公

    萌系相公

    别人家的娘子是相夫教子,明梳却是在教夫教子。别人都说红叶斋的女主人风光无限,只有明梳知道她是在为人做牛做马。终于有一天她受够了跑去找她家相公,却看见自家相公一手拄剑很严肃的对她说:“其实,我是一个杀手。”明梳凌乱了,世上怎么会有这么萌的杀手!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 绅士法则 淑女定律

    绅士法则 淑女定律

    《绅士法则淑女定律》在综合众多案例的基础上,提出了“绅士法则,淑女定律”这一思维模式,并从多个不同的角度进行深入阐释以丰富实用的案例为线索,帮助家长们科学地培养自己的孩子,为孩子未来拥有好前程奠定坚实的基础。
  • 大森林里的小木屋

    大森林里的小木屋

    本书记录了罗兰在美国拓荒热潮中,从两岁开始跟随父母四处迁移,艰苦开拓,直到拥有幸福的生活。书中洋溢着浓浓的亲情,他们的生活态度是值得每个家庭和孩子思考学习的。
  • 影后是考神

    影后是考神

    说出来你可能不信,演戏这么多年,沈宴清最后走红,靠的不是演技不是炒作不是颜值,而是她自带考神体质的设定!她,是中小学生党的信仰,一批批毕业党即便是踏入了社会,依旧粉着她。因为,考试不停,不粉不行!网友们:“谢谢清清的帮忙,自从转了你的微博,并粉上你以后,妈妈再也不用担心我挂科了!谁转谁知道!”就算她没有演技也照样有戏接,那她还浪费时间钻研演技做什么?直到她遇到了有演技洁癖著称的影帝,她的好日子忽然到了头,影帝总是来找她半夜对剧本。演技洁癖影帝vs捞金过气的三流女星,业界良心vs业界毒瘤。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 大宋风云录之碧血青天

    大宋风云录之碧血青天

    大宋仁宗年间,朝廷北有契丹,西有党项两大敌手,可是因为太祖皇帝杯酒释兵权的影响,整个大宋朝却没有几个名将来抗衡辽夏两国,而作为帝国最为优秀武将世家的传人杨宗保,却在一次西征过程中莫名被包围子宋夏边境的野狼谷,由此引发的一系列故事即将开始。天波府十二寡妇西征,虽然有些悲壮,却是一个无奈的选择;西夏一品堂和辽国黑水神宫联手暗杀杨宗保,中原武林奋起反击;狄青如何从一个普通人成为抵抗西夏的顶梁柱,一切谜底尽在接下来的故事当中......