430. To SOPHIA RAVICH

Written August 26, 1915 · First published in 1929 in Lenin Miscellany XI. Sent from Sörenberg to Geneva. Printed from the original. · page 486

Dear Comrade Olga,

As regards elections, I really don’t know what to answer. At the first blush, why shouldn’t elections in a republic be held from top to bottom? But beyond this first blush I know nothing: neither the nature of the body to which elections have to be held, nor the correlation of parties within it, nor the history of the question, nor past experience. It is difficult to judge under such conditions, for the “first blush” alone is insufficient, of course.

Regards,
Yours,
Lenin

P.S. Did the 200 frs. help to get round Kuzmikha? Keep me informed by postcards: “a bulletin of Kuzmikha’s moods and the chances of success”. Both you (and we) are fed up with Kuzma, I understand, but what can we do?