Page:The Spirit of Russia by T G Masaryk, volume 2.pdf/386

360 siderable. By their defence of politism, Plehanov and his associates established a clearer distinction between socialism and anarchism. For a time, none the less, the influence of Marx was overshadowed by that of Bakunin; only a minority of the Marxists remained equal to their task; but the views of this minority have continually gained ground. During the strenuous days of the revolution, though all the progressive parties were joint leaders in that movement, and though it was approved and supported even by the right wing of liberalism, it was the Marxists in especial who proved their organising capacity.

Marxist social democracy teaches the workers to advance by legal methods; the duma and the constitution are utilised to better and better effect on behalf of the minimum program. Everyday political and administrative work in the individual organisations (the trade unions, cooperatives, etc.), is training up a new generation of operatives, and the organisation of the workers necessitates to an increasing extent the development of political capacity.

The tactical struggles between the "economists" and the advocates of political action become less acrimonious; educational activity is diffusing among the workers a large share of culture, and above all of political culture. To a notable extent, this development is promoted by the consciousness of belonging to a party and to an international organisation. The Russian social democratic workman's outlook upon the social and political activities of the entire world, lifts him to a higher plane, politically speaking, than has been attained by the average liberal. Working-class leaders play the part which, during the reign of Alexander I, was played in the army and in society by those officers who had been in Europe ; these leaders, too, have made personal acquaintance with Europe. To this extent, therefore, Marxism is in essentials a renovated radical westernism. In Russia, the land of so many nationalities, the mission of Marxist internationalism cannot but be fraught with blessings.

It is impossible for the nonce to say whether and when the Russian Marxists will succeed in winning over the peasants, but this much is certain, that the agrarian question is of far more pressing importance to the Russian than to the European Marxist.

We cannot esteem the social democracy too highly for the