The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-08-31
INSPIRING INFLUENCES OF HOPE.


certained, one of them would probably be
found to be hopefulness. Confidence may
come when the end is in sight or in times
of prosperity and evident advance toward
the goal, but hopefulness is required when
the outlook is discouraging. Many politi-
cal movements have been started under
most unauspicious circumstances and con-
Quoted to final success in large part through
the hopefulness of a few enthusiastic lead
ers Nations have been overturned or their
policies changed by parties that were orig
inally derided as insignificant. But if they
had SEINE vital principle to sustain them and
had hopeful leaders they would grow,
slowly at first, but more rapidly as the hope
of ultimate success became more general,
until finally confidence, replacing hope,
should carry them to victory. What is
true of parties and of general movements
of humanity is true of individuals. Hope,
alone, will not insure success, but it is
needed to sustain effort when the prospect
is gloomy Despair, which is the negation
of hope, invites failure. The despairing
man can make no vigorous effort to re-
trieve lost ground. Hope is inspiring and
keeps its happy possessor striving for sue
cess. Stories of the sufferings of Arctic
travellers painfully illustrate the value of
hope in sustaining effort. The men who
return to civilization to tell the story of
shipwreck and disaster and the sad tale of
the sufferings and death of their compan-
ions, are very often no stronger physically
than those who have succumbed. Every
condition of strength and environment may
have been the same, save that one man was
hopeful and therefore persistent, the other
dispairing and disinclined to painfully pur-
sue what seemed to him useless effort to
proong existence. It is clear that in such
extreme cases, though hope by itself can
not command success, it is most important
factor in sustaining effort. 1t is not easy
to trace its influence in the ordinary affairs
of life, yet we may be sure that every en-
ergetic man of affairs who pushes himself
forward is at first hopeful and afterward
confident, and that this hopefulness and
confidence help to make him successful.
Hopefulness is, therefore, quality to be
cultivated, and this may be done by study
ing and keeping in mind the instances
wherein success has crowned personal
efforts made under discouraging circum-
stances. American political life furnishes
many encouragements to men of principle.
They can see parties starting out with few
members. and growing year after year un-
til they obtain recognition and power, or
they can see factions of party getting
control of their party organizations, though
at first derided and condemned. How has
it been done? Almost always because the
faction or party that achieved success had
sound principle or policy which it sought
to establish, but also because its original
members were firm in the faith and hopeful,
and inspired their followers with similar
faith and hope. Every party or faction will
not succeed, no matter how hopeful and
persistent it's members may be, for some
parties and factions are without the vital
principle, that is just as essential as hope.
But it may safely be affirmed that the Dem
ocratic party could not have been main
tanned during long years of continual defeat
if it had not been possessed of an ever-liv-
ing principle and sustained by the hope that
is born of faith in the ultimate triumph of
the right 1t is not necessary that one
should be a Democrat to recognize this
truth. 1t is sufficient to. know that the
party has well-defined principles and poll
cies, and that the hopefulness of it's adher-
ents kept it in existence during years of
encouragement and finally restored it to its
old rank. 1t is with relation to individual
conduct, however, that considerations OF
the value of hopefulness are most helpful.
And these considerations lead one to con-
clude that there is always room for hope,
provided one is conscientiously endeavor-
ing to do that which is or appears to be
right The true attitude seems to be to
determine upon principles or course OF
action thoughtfully and with good purpose,
and then to assume, as matter of course,
that success must come. In that spirit
great results may be achieved in ways most
unexpected. 1t is the spirit of hopefulness
born of faith and inspiring to persistent
efforts that makes great writer's of men
who had no opportunities to acquire school
learning, great artists of men who had to
teach themselves and great business men
or statesmen of poor boys who started
without dollar to make their own way in