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occurs； the questions that concern people will cease to be political
questions； but will be purely questions of economics。〃
〃Certainly。 And we shall see the disappearance of political parties。
That process is already apparent。 In the present huge Trade Union
Conference there are only sixty Mensheviks。 The Communists are
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swallowing one party after another。 Those who were not drawn over to us
during the period of struggle are now joining us during the process of
construction； and we find that our differences now are not political at all；
but concerned only with the practical details of construction。〃 He
illustrated this by pointing out the present constitution of the Supreme
Council of Public Economy。 There are under it fifty…three Departments
or Centres （Textile； Soap； Wool； Timber； Flax； etc。）； each controlled by a
〃College〃 of three or more persons。 There are 232 members of these
Colleges or Boards in all； and of them 83 are workmen； 79 are engineers；
1 was an ex…director； 50 were from the clerical staff； and 19 unclassified。
Politically 115 were Communists； 105 were 〃non…party；〃 and 12 were of
non…Communist parties。 He continued； 〃Further； in swallowing the other
parties； the Communists themselves will cease to exist as a political party。
Think only that youths coming to their manhood during this year in Russia
and in the future will not be able to confirm from their own experience the
reasoning of Karl Marx； because they will have had no experience of a
capitalist country。 What can they make of the class struggle？ The class
struggle here is already over； and the distinctions of class have already
gone altogether。 In the old days； members of our party were men who
had read； or tried to read； Marx's 〃Capital；〃 who knew the 〃Communist
Manifesto〃 by heart； and were occupied in continual criticism of the basis
of capitalist society。 Look at the new
members of our party。 Marx is quite unnecessary to them。 They join
us； not for struggle in the interests of an oppressed class； but simply
because they understand our aims in constructive work。 And； as this
process continues； we old social democrats shall disappear； and our places
will be filled by people of entirely different character grown up under
entirely new conditions。〃
NON…PARTYISM
Rykov's prophecies of the disappearance of Political parties may be
falsified by a development of that very non…partyism on which he bases
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THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
them。 It is true that the parties openly hostile to the Communists in
Russia have practically disappeared。 Many old…time Mensheviks have
joined the Communist Party。 Here and there in the country may be found
a Social Revolutionary stronghold。 Here and there in the Ukraine the
Mensheviks retain a footing； but I doubt whether either of these parties has
in it the vitality to make itself once again a serious political factor。 There
is； however； a movement which； in the long run； may alter Russia's
political complexion。 More and more delegates to Soviets or Congresses
of all kinds are explicitly described as 〃Non…party。〃 Non…partyism is
perhaps a sign of revolt against rigid discipline of any kind。 Now and
then； of course； a clever Menshevik or Social Revolutionary； by trimming
his sails carefully to the wind； gets himself elected on a non…party ticket。
'When this happens there is usually a great hullabaloo as soon as he
declares himself。 A section of his electors agitates for his recall and
presently some one else is elected in his stead。 But non…partyism is much
more than a mere cloak of invisibility for enemies or conditional
supporters of the Communists。 I know of considerable country districts
which； in the face of every kind of agitation； insist on returning
exclusively non…party delegates。 The local Soviets in these districts are
also non…party； and they elect usually a local Bolshevik to some
responsible post to act as it were as a buffer between themselves and the
central
authority。 They manage local affairs in their own way； and； through
the use of tact on both sides； avoid falling foul of the more rigid
doctrinaires in Moscow。
Eager reactionaries outside Russia will no doubt point to non…
partyism as a symptom of friendship for themselves。 It is nothing of the
sort。 On all questions of the defense of the Republic the non…party voting
is invariably solid with that of the Communists。 The non…party men do
not want Denikin。 They do not want Baron Wrangel。 They have never
heard of Professor Struhve。 They do not particularly like the
Communists。 They principally want to be left alone； and they principally
fear any enforced continuation of war of any kind。 If； in the course of
time； they come to have a definite political programme； I think it not
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impossible that they may turn into a new kind of constitutional democrat。
That does not mean that they will have any use for M。 Milukov or for a
monarch with whom M。 Milukov might be ready to supply them。 The
Constitution for which they will work will be that very Soviet Constitution
which is now in abeyance； and the democracy which they associate with it
will be that form of democracy which were it to be accurately observed in
the present state of Russia； that Constitution would provide。 The
capitalist in Russia has long ago earned the position in which； according to
the Constitution； he has a right to vote； since he has long ago ceased to be
a capitalist。 Supposing the Soviet Constitution were today to be literally
applied； it would be found that practically no class except the priests
would be excluded from the franchise。 And when this agitation swells in
volume； it will be an agitation extremely difficult to resist； supposing
Russia to be at peace； so that there will be no valid excuse with which to
meet it。 These new constitutional democrats will be in the position of
saying to the Communists； 〃Give us； without change； that very
Constitution which you yourselves drew up。〃 I think they will find many
friends inside the Communist Party； particularly among those Communists
who are also Trade Unionists。 I heard something very like the arguments
of this new variety of constitutional democrat in the Kremlin itself at an
All…Russian Conference of the Communist Party。 A workman； Sapronov；
turned suddenly aside in a speech on quite another matter； and said with
great violence that the
present system was in danger of running to seed and turning into
oligarchy； if not autocracy。 Until the moment when he put his listeners
against him by a personal attack on Lenin； there was no doubt that he had
with him the sympathies of quite a considerable section of an exclusively
Communist audience。
Given peace； given an approximate return to normal conditions； non…
partyism may well profoundly modify the activities of the Communists。
It would certainly be strong enough to prevent the rasher spirits among
them from jeopardizing peace or from risking Russia's chance of
convalescence for the sake of promoting in any way the growth of
revolution abroad。 Of course； so long as it is perfectly obvious that
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