Leon Trotsky: Letter to Pierre Naville

June 26, 1930

[Writing of Leon Trotsky, Vol. 2, 1930, New York 1975, p. 301, title: “No Limits on Any Party Member”]

You say that R. M. should not "go beyond the limits within which he is capable of doing something." You repeat this phrase many times in your letter. For my part, I believe that every member of the organization can and must know, analyze, and criticize all the questions that form the content of our activity. There are no 'limits" for anyone. That is the ABC of party democracy. Your formula is aristocratic and aloof. That is what has left you a minority in the Paris region [of the Communist League]. It is an altogether inevitable reaction on its part.

You have tried to eliminate M. from his post. You remain in the minority. That shows that you have proceeded with too much light-mindedness, without facing the mood of the organization. After the setback, you wanted to exclude M. from the Opposition! How could you do that? By a small coup d'état. I don't understand any of this.