Page:Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - Lessons of the Revolution (1918).djvu/17

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ful landlords. And the government which calls itself revolutionary and democratic persists in foiling the peasants' desires, in deceiving them with promises and delays. The capitalists for months harrassed Minister of Agriculture Tchernoy's measures for enacting laws prohibiting the sale and purchase of land; and when a law of this type was finally promulgated, the capitalists began a despicable campaign of calumny against Tchernov, which continues unabated. In its defense of the landlords the government has not recoiled from knavery; it has determined to proceed by law against the peasants for the «wilful» seizure of land!

Yes, the peasents are deceived, they are persuaded to await the convocation of the Constituent Assembly; but the capitalists keep on postponing it. Now that the date for convocation has bean, under pressure by the Bolsheviks, set for the 30-th of September, the capitalists openly resent such an «impossibly» short interval, and again insist upon postponing the Constituent Assembly. The most influential members of the party of capitalists and landlords,—the «Cadet» party, or the «Party of People's»—such as (Countess) Panina, openly preach the postponement of the Constituent Assembly until the end of the war.

Have patience with the land question until the Constituent Assembly! With the Constituent Assembly wait until the end of the war! With the end of the war wait until complete victory is won! This