Page 235 - SELECTED WORKS OF DENG XIAOPING Volume II

SENIOR CADRES AND THE PARTY’S FINE TRADITIONS 233
cost. However, it will be difficult to solve even simple problems like this
without proper educational work and close contact with the masses and cadres
at lower levels. More often than not, it has been our failure to do our work
well and promptly that has given rise to the existing problems and that has
caused so many petitioners to come from different localities to seek help from
the central authorities. Of course, some of them are bad people who break
the law and regulations, and that cannot be attributed to shortcomings in our
work.
At present cadres throughout the country, and first of all the senior
cadres, should set an example and take the lead in reviving and enriching our
Party’s traditions of working hard, living simply and maintaining close ties
with the masses. We will run into a variety of difficulties in our effort to
achieve the four modernizations because we lack experience in such matters.
For one thing, we are short of managerial and technical personnel. For
another, technical transformation of an enterprise reduces the size of the
work force needed, and this creates the difficult problem of how best to
employ the extra workers. Furthermore, we are going to establish a retirement
system. This is undoubtedly correct, but many people won’t like the idea, so
we will run into difficulties there too. In the final analysis, these problems
can be solved only if we have faith in the masses, rely on them and stick
closely to the mass line. It is up to the veteran cadres to take the lead in
further developing our Party’s tradition of maintaining close ties with the
masses. Younger cadres should be selected and promoted to leading positions
at different levels. The veteran cadres should pass on their experience to
them, help and guide them and set a good example for them so that they
will inherit and develop the Party’s fine traditions of hard work and plain
living and closeness to the masses. They should be taught that to solve
problems it is not enough merely to be young and to possess professional
knowledge. It is essential to have a good style of work. But what is most
important is to maintain close ties with the masses. We should not be
overlords and should guard against the arbitrary and bureaucratic ways of
high officials in the yamen [government offices in feudal China]. These are
some of the fundamental views of Comrade Mao Zedong, and we should still
act in accordance with them.
Comrades, our senior cadres are all long-tested veterans nurtured and
educated by the Party over a long period. The overwhelming majority of you
have always obeyed the Party and acted in the spirit of its directives. You
struggled against Lin Biao and the Gang of Four. You work for the cause of
the Party and the people faithfully and wholeheartedly, and you have
maintained our Party’s fine traditions and style. We are confident that under