Several Characteristics of the Propagation of Marxism by *Gongjin*

*Gongjin* was one of the earliest progressive periodicals to propagate Marxism in Shaanxi. In its early period of publication, it mainly reflected the suffering of the Shaanxi people and condemned the darkness of modern Shaanxi society and the rule of feudal warlords. In June 1922, issue No. 17 of *Gongjin* published “The Chinese Communist Party’s Views on the Current Situation,” marking its turn toward propagating Marxism. Thereafter, *Gongjin* published a large number of articles promoting Marxism, advancing the spread of Marxism in Shaanxi. The propagation of Marxism by *Gongjin* had five characteristics.

《共进》是最早在陕西传播马克思主义的进步刊物之一。该杂志创刊初期，主要是反映陕西人民疾苦，抨击近代陕西社会的黑暗和封建军阀统治。1922年6月，《共进》第十七期刊登《中国共产党对于时局的主张》，标志着转向传播马克思主义。此后，《共进》刊登大量宣传马克思主义的文章，推动了马克思主义在陕西的传播。《共进》传播马克思主义具有五个特点。

First, it propagated Marxism through interaction with progressive young intellectuals. In response to a letter from a Shaanxi youth raising the question of whether a country’s politics should adopt gradualism or radicalism, “Reply to a Friend’s Letter Comparing Sun Yat-sen and Lenin” pointed out that, regardless of which doctrine one adopts, one must not harbor illusions of achieving success overnight. Taking the example of Soviet socialist construction, it noted that the Soviet Union “takes communism as its ultimate goal. … Yet the Communists do not merely cling to this utopia; thus they take the dictatorship of the proletariat as the transitional tool to communist society. On this principle, to resolve Russia’s economic crisis, there is the New Economic Policy; to carry out social revolution and overthrow world imperialist capitalism, the Third International has decided to implement a national revolution in the East and a social revolution in the West.” In response to a letter from a Shaanxi youth mentioning that, due to the Kuomintang-Communist cooperation, some people slandered the Communist Party for disrupting Kuomintang party discipline by joining it, the article rebutted this by citing Marx’s statement that “the Communists support every revolutionary movement against the existing social and political order of things,” and stated that those who held such views simply did not understand communism. “Special Correspondence from Xi’an” also emphasized that Shaanxi youth should focus on the development of their own individuality, propagating the economic base determining the superstructure, and the free and comprehensive development of the individual.

第一，在与先进青年知识分子互动中传播马克思主义。针对陕西青年来信提出一国政治应当采取渐进主义还是激进主义的问题，《复友人孙中山与列宁比较的信》指出，不论采取何种主义，都不可抱有一蹴而就的幻想；并以苏俄社会主义建设经验为例指出，苏俄“以共产主义为其最终之目的者也。……然而共产党人绝不徒抱此空想，故以劳农专政为共产社会之过渡工具，准此理也，欲解除俄国经济危机，故有新经济政策，欲实行社会革命，推翻世界帝国资本主义，故第三国际决定在东方实行民族革命，在西方实行社会革命”。针对陕西青年来信中提到由于国共合作，部分人污蔑因共产党的加入扰乱了国民党党纪的问题，该文用马克思所说的凡有反对现存社会制度，及政治状况之革命运动，共产党皆援助之”予以反驳，称有此想法的人皆不了解共产主义。《西安特约通信》也强调，陕西青年应注重自身个性的发展，宣传经济基础决定上层建筑、人的自由全面发展等。

Second, it propagated Marxism in coordination with other newspapers and periodicals. First, it coordinated with red periodicals founded by Shaanxi youth studying outside the province to propagate Marxism. In 1921, Shaanxi youth studying outside the province founded the monthly *Gongxian* (Contribution). From its very first issue, this periodical published articles such as “Why Talk About Socialism,” introducing the October Revolution and arguing that the trend of socialism would “permeate the world.” To coordinate with *Gongxian*’s propaganda on socialism, *Gongjin* issue No. 37 published two articles, “May Fifth” and “May Seventh,” written by Wu Zhige, one of the founders of *Gongxian*, introducing Marx and Marxist theories on class struggle and the dictatorship of the proletariat. Second, it reprinted articles from the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspapers and periodicals to propagate Marxism. *Gongjin* repeatedly reprinted articles on the October Revolution and Lenin published in *New Youth*, *The Guide*, *China Youth*, and other publications, broadly disseminating the October Revolution and Leninism. For example, *Gongjin* issue No. 56 published Chen Duxiu’s “The Death of Lenin (Reprinted from *China Youth Weekly*),” which itself came from the special Lenin issue of *China Youth*.

第二，在与其他报刊相互配合中传播马克思主义。一是在与旅外陕西青年创办的红色报刊相互配合中传播马克思主义。1921年陕西旅外青年创办《贡献》月刊，该报刊一创刊就刊载《为什么讲社会主义》等文章，介绍十月革命，论证社会主义趋势将“弥漫世界”。为配合《贡献》对社会主义的宣传，《共进》第三十七期刊载《贡献》月刊创办人之一武止戈所写的《五五》《五七》两篇文章，介绍马克思以及马克思主义关于阶级斗争与无产阶级专政理论。二是转载中国共产党党报党刊的文章，宣传马克思主义。《共进》多次转载《新青年》《向导》《中国青年》等刊物所发表的关于十月革命、列宁的文章，广泛宣传十月革命和列宁主义。如《共进》第五十六期刊载陈独秀写的《列宁之死（转选中国青年周刊）》，而该文来自于《中国青年》的列宁特号。

Third, it propagated Marxism by taking major events and anniversaries of important figures as opportunities. First, it took the anniversary of the Russian October Revolution as an opportunity to propagate Marxism. *Gongjin* issue No. 49 published “The Sixth Anniversary of the Russian Revolution,” explaining the progressive nature of the October Revolution and pointing out that the Chinese revolution must be based on reality, analyze China’s environment, and not blindly copy Russia, but strive to do better than Russia. Second, it took the anniversary of Marx’s birth and the anniversary of Lenin’s death as opportunities to propagate Marxism. On the 105th anniversary of Marx’s birth, *Gongjin* published “May Fifth,” pointing out that Marx elucidated the meaning of value and surplus value, gave a new and true explanation of capital and labor, and introduced three works: *The Communist Manifesto*, *Critique of the Gotha Programme*, and *Capital*. On the 107th anniversary of Marx’s birth, *Gongjin* published “Commemorating May Fifth,” pointing out that *The Communist Manifesto* is the guide to action for the proletarian revolutionary movement, that to abolish capitalist society the proletariat must carry out revolution, and that socialist society will inevitably arise as a historical necessity to replace it. On the first and second anniversaries of Lenin’s death, it discussed the Chinese national revolution, pointing out that Leninism “is worth our study,” and that “to achieve true freedom and true happiness, we must follow Lenin’s doctrine and overthrow all classes that oppress us.”

第三，以重大事件和重要人物纪念日为契机传播马克思主义。一是以纪念俄国十月革命为契机传播马克思主义。《共进》第四十九期刊载《俄国革命第六周年纪念》，阐释十月革命的先进性，指出中国革命要立足实际，分析中国环境，不可一味照搬俄国，要争取做得比俄国更好。二是以马克思诞辰纪念日和列宁逝世周年纪念日为契机传播马克思主义。在马克思诞辰一百零五周年纪念日，《共进》发表《五五》，指出马克思阐明了价值和剩余价值的意义，赋予资本和劳动新的、真正的解释，并介绍《共产党宣言》《哥达纲领批判》《资本论》三本著作。在马克思诞辰一百零七周年，《共进》刊登《五五纪念》，指出《共产党宣言》是无产阶级革命运动的行动指南，要废止资本主义社会，非无产阶级实行革命不可，社会主义社会必定成为代之而兴的历史必然。在列宁逝世一周年和两周年纪念日谈中国国民革命，指出列宁主义“是我们值得研究的”，“要真正的自由，真正的幸福，非依列宁的主义实行推倒压迫我们的一切阶级不可”。

Fourth, it propagated Marxism in the course of commenting on hot issues of concern to the Shaanxi people. *Gongjin* published many commentary articles propagating Marxism. In response to the issues of education and revolution that concerned the Shaanxi people, *Gongjin* issue No. 87 published “Pursuing Education and Revolution,” discussing the significance of education and revolution, and pointing out that revolution should consist of the ruled class overthrowing the rule of the ruling class, using revolutionary means to establish a new social system, pursuing human freedom and equality, and achieving human liberation. In response to the brutal suppression of peasants by Wei Dingyi, commander of the Fourth Division of the Shaanxi Army, in Xingping, Shaanxi, *Gongjin* issue No. 87 published “The Unprecedented Great Massacre of Xingping Peasants,” proposing that the oppressed class should carry out a national revolution for the interests of the entire people, learn from the October Revolution, and take the peasants as the main force of the national revolution. *Gongjin* also published articles such as “Our Society’s Declaration,” “The Rotten Situation in Shaanxi,” and “A Record of Tears over the Shaanxi Situation,” analyzing and commenting on issues such as imperialist oppression, political darkness, incessant banditry, and the peasant movement, while simultaneously propagating Marxist theories of social revolution and class struggle.

第四，在评论陕西民众关注的热点问题中传播马克思主义。《共进》刊载不少评论文章，宣传马克思主义。针对陕西民众关注的教育和革命问题，《共进》第八十七期刊载《求学与革命》，论述教育与革命的意义，指出革命应当由被统治阶级推翻统治阶级的统治，用革命的手段建立新的社会制度，追求人的自由平等，实现人类解放。针对陕西陆军第四师师长卫定一在陕西兴平残酷镇压农民，《共进》第八十七期刊载《兴平农民空前之大惨杀》，提出被压迫阶级应为全体人民的利益实行国民革命，应向十月革命学习，将农民作为国民革命的主力军。《共进》还刊发《本社宣言》《糜烂的陕局》《陕局掇泣录》等文章，对帝国主义压迫、政局黑暗、匪乱不断、农民运动等问题进行分析和评论，同时宣传马克思主义社会革命论、阶级斗争理论等。

Fifth, it propagated Marxism by taking into account the theoretical levels of different groups. *Gongjin*’s readership was broad, with uneven theoretical and cultural literacy. To address this, *Gongjin* adopted differentiated language and content to propagate Marxism according to the theoretical level of different groups. For progressive Shaanxi youth and advanced figures in the educational circles, *Gongjin* emphasized scholarly reasoning and theoretical argumentation when propagating Marxism. For example, “The Ways Imperialism Invades China” argued for Marx’s theory of surplus value and Lenin’s theory of imperialism, pointing out that the purpose of capitalist society is to squeeze out the surplus value exchanged for the sweat and blood of laborers, and that imperialism is the highest stage of capitalist development, a “temporary method to remedy capitalism.” For ordinary people, *Gongjin* focused on using plain language to explain Marxism. For example, when introducing the theory of the five forms of social development, “World Revolution and China’s Future” summarized the five forms as the earliest period (clan society), the fishing and hunting period (tribal society), the nomadic period (tribal society), the agricultural period (national society), and the industrial period (communist society). This helped the masses understand and accept it.

第五，在观照不同群体的理论水平中传播马克思主义。《共进》的读者群体广泛，理论水平和文化素养参差不齐。为此，《共进》根据不同群体的理论水平，采用差异化的语言和内容传播马克思主义。针对陕西进步青年和教育界先进人士，《共进》传播马克思主义时，侧重学理性阐释和理论论证。如《帝国主义侵略中国的方式》论证马克思剩余价值理论和列宁帝国主义论，指出，资本主义社会的目的在于榨取劳动者血汗所换来的剩余价值；帝国主义是资本主义发展的高级阶段，是“救济资本主义一时的方法”。针对普通民众，《共进》注重用通俗的语言阐释马克思主义。如《世界革命和中国前途》介绍社会发展五形态理论时，将五种形态概括为最初时期（家系社会）、渔猎时期（族系社会）、游牧时期（部落社会）、农业时期（国家社会）、工业时期（共产社会）。这有助于大众理解和接受。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗