The Washington herald., 1909-05-16
Great Outpouring of Help
fuL Sentiments ShOws In
terest Aroused in This
Weeks Subject = Ambi-
ton Next Sunday.
By THE oPTIMIsT.

lul OutpC url1S OF neipIu4 sentiments on
Sincerity" which topic you selected for
this Sundays contest The enthusiasm
which the members OF The Washington
Herald Opt:rnist Club enter into anything
which suggests straightforEardness and
truth Is typical Of the clubs object
What Is the relation between optimism
and sincerity. feliow-workers? I am OF
the opinion that sincerity is essentially
one OF the fundamentals OF a hopeful out
look on life
La ROuchefoucald says: Weak per
sons cannot be sincere" and again, Low
ell: The only conclusive evidence OF
mans Sincerity is that he give himself
for principle" These two quotations
are the very heart and foundation Of the
relation between optimism and sincerity.
Optimism is strength-the possession OF
that firm conviction that everything n
life has its best side and that the best
SIDE is the only one. the view of which
makes for personal happiness. and IS an
/ impregnable fortress Of character which
cannot be battered down by the triviaE-
ties Of everyday existence. L IS indeed
weakness to be iRsincere. and 70 lack
strength is no part OF the role played by
true optimist
Look a man straight IN the eye and tel
him the truth. no matter what the cost.
! No loss which Is sustained by the as
sumption OF a straightforward and frank
attitude can be 50 great as the loss Of
self respect which is the certain follower
Of subterfuge and evasion Il may re-
Quire strength 20 be sincere, Il certainly
requires courage. when perhaps coveted
material things depend on ones decision.
I But optimists. who see the light and
who are steadfsstly Iahoring for the
truth. can readily distinguish the prin-
( cipIe involved
I Flattery IS so easy. and praise where il
/ IS not due Is TIE food Of fools and
+ dreamers The true man or woman pre-
I fers 20 have his friends sincere. Unless
we can sense that close harmony between
ourselves and our friends which IS born
7 of absolute sincerity. We are simply crop
I ing our ways through life u IS far bet
ger 20 have one sincere friend than
thousand acQuaintances who only fawn
and fiatter and work upon yoar conceit
I fOr the advancement Of their own inter
ests. A sincere friend is not only one
who points out our faults. and tells Us
the truth about himself as he sees L. but
one who aids Us n our daily lives By q
I word of encoura cement here. or a helping
/ hand when most needed
4 For lack of the quality OF sincerity IN
those about him. many man has failed
n his efforts. who might otherwise have
2 g-r-..
useful aud eniightening TO the world. Il
IS no less true that weak natures feed
on insncerity. than II IS that weak per-
sons cannot be sincere. On either side
the quality OF sincerity s sign Of
strength. OF breadth. Of q happy. whole
some. optimistic outlook The strong
man hztes inslncerity in others and
scorns It as much as he scoTus TO practice
Z himself. The key 10 a sincere mans 8
heart Is sincerity.
You may say that IL Is difficult 70 judge
sincerity IN others. and I agree with you.
Il is always difficult 70 read character.
especially as sincerity Is so rarely prac-
ticed as an absolute principle But. as
Lowell says. The only conclusive evi-
deace Is that a man give himself for q
principle" which I have quoted above.
Il IS only another way OF putting the old
old maxim. which We used % scrawl in
our copy-bOoks- Actions speak louder
than words BY deeds alone can man be
Judged. and the measure Of your neigh
5Or's sincerity lies solely within himself
Likewise. my dear brother and sister cp-
timists. the evidence OF your optimism IS
not merely voiced in what you say and
what you write for our weekly contests
Il depends upon you. yourselves, wheth-
e. OF not your lives are examples Of op-
timlsm 70 those about YOU Live up 20
your principles with an unsweTving sin
cerity. scatter your optimism and your
/ helpfClneSs By deeds as vel as By words.
You NAV write your distressed nsighbOr
a beautiful tract. full OF hopeful mes
( sages. but Il cannot do him as much good
as the clasp Of the hand and the hearty
prefer CT asd-the sincere desire TO show
him that you mean what you say.
II. as Landor has so aptly said: Truth
IS eternal" then also Is the opposite OF
truth. which is insincer.ty. Once We
prove ourselves 70 be lacking in the noble
quality OF sincerity. il is next TO impoS-
sible 70 rehabilitate ourselves in the eyes
Of those We have so injured. Bodily in
jury. which involves temporary suffering.
can be forgiven in time, but the wounds
that are inflicted upon the soul leave
may have long since died. regret and sor-
row takes its place. and forgiveness does
not always carry with il fOrgetfulness.
So be careful how you wound with
hypocrisy and lying. Be sparing OF your
fattery. for you are not only mjuring
your neighbor. but irrevOCably doing vio-
lence to your own character.
/ No quality looms Up quite so strong
In the development Of character IS does
sincerity. Optimism cannot take a firm
hold on your daily habit OF living. unless
II rests on the firm foundation OF which
sincerity is the corner stone How mean
a thing a man makes OF himself when
he faces the world with lie on his
tongue. and how cOntemptibly he must
regard his fellOw-creatUres when he
] seeks to disguise from them his real char
acter and intention
/ TO conceal resentment against a per-
son and appear friendly with him. I am
ashamed OF It. said Confucius, and the
idea has lived through centuries. The iisr
IS abborred Of all men Far better 10
tell the truth no matter how unpleasant.
than 70 seek to hide behind an hypocrit-
ical exterior.
The sincere man inspires sincerity IN
others. When YOU tell your neighbor the
truth. whether il be TO his advantage o.
not. iI he be the proper sort Of man he
VIII thank you for 1t. and recall the fact
later that you are not one who can be
blinded with insincerity. Thus he in turn
will be moved TO practice sincerity. rot
i only with you, but with his next door
neighbor. and so CT the great principle
viii spread.
IN this way we come back TO our Opt
mist Club For the good OF others as
well as ourselves, we have formed this
club It Is conducted earnestly. and sub
seribed 20 honestly by each and every
member We want to spread our op-
ti1lism. TO give our fellows the benefit
Of its uplifting qualities. Can We do this