VII. Keeping to and Carrying Forward the Party's Fine Tradition and Fine Style Of Work

In the General Programme of the draft a paragraph is added: "The whole Party must keep to and carry forward its fine tradition of following the mass line and seeking truth from facts, keep to and carry forward the style of work characterized by integration of theory with practice, close ties with the masses and criticism and self-criticism, the style of modesty, prudence and freedom from arrogance and impetuosity, and the style of plain living and hard struggle; and the whole Party must prevent Party members, especially leading Party cadres, from exploiting their position to seek privileges, and wage a resolute struggle against bourgeois ideology and the bourgeois style of work." Corresponding additions are made in the chapters on Membership and Primary Organizations of the Party.

Our Party's fine tradition and fine style were developed in the protracted revolutionary struggle and have long been rooted among the masses of Party members and cadres. They are the hallmark distinguishing us Communists from any other political parties. In recent years, the "gang of four" have gravely undermined our Party's tradition and style of work, and particularly our fine tradition of following the mass line and seeking truth from facts. Because of their influence, unwholesome tendencies have developed in varying degrees among some of our Party members and cadres. We should be acutely aware of this state of affairs.

During the democratic revolution Chairman Mao issued a series of important directives on the Party's style of work. On the eve of nationwide victory, he opportunely pointed out that in victory special attention must be paid to guarding against attacks made by the bourgeoisie with "sugar-coated bullets." He added, "The comrades must be helped to remain modest, prudent and free from arrogance and rashness in their style of work. The comrades must be helped to preserve the style of plain living and hard work." From the nationwide liberation right up to and through the Cultural Revolution Chairman Mao stressed this point repeatedly. This was necessary because our Party was a party in power and such a position might easily turn the heads of many comrades. One notable means of the bourgeoisie in its struggle against the proletariat under the dictatorship of the proletariat is the use of its ideology and style of work to corrode our Party. Referring to the dangerous tendency among some cadres to alienate themselves from the masses, refuse to share weal and woe with them, scramble for fame and fortune and work solely for personal gain, Chairman Mao sharply warned: "We must watch out lest we foster the bureaucratic style of work and grow into an aristocratic stratum divorced from the people." Again, in view of the fact that some of our cadres in the Party were divorced from reality, had ceased to make progress, become arrogant and conceited and feared criticism and self-criticism, Chairman Mao added, "A Communist must acquire the Marxist dialectical concept of one dividing into two with regard to achievements and shortcomings, truth and falsehood." "To any comrade who rejects the dialectical and analytical method of Marxism and doesn't analyse modestly and conscientiously his own locality, his own unit and himself and also other localities, other units and other people, we must give comradely advice and criticism, so as to bring about a change in this undesirable state of affairs. We must make a practice of learning the good experience, good style and good methods from other departments, provinces, municipalities, districts and units."

All Party comrades, and particularly leading cadres at all levels, must bear Chairman Mao's teachings firmly in mind, revolutionize their thinking and greatly improve their style of work through the criticism of the "gang of four" and through Party consolidation and rectification. The most important task at present is to keep to the fine tradition of following the mass line and seeking truth from facts and to carry them forward. We must maintain the closest ties with the masses, never for a moment divorce ourselves from them, listen attentively to their voice, consult with them when matters arise and really have faith in and rely on them; we must take Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought as our guide and step up investigation and study, achieve the unity of theory and practice, seek truth from facts, be honest, speak and act honestly, be modest and prudent and guard against any boastfulness and conceit. To keep to and carry forward our Party's fine tradition and fine style and combat the bourgeois ideology and style - this is a signal aspect of Party building under the dictatorship of the proletariat.