Evening star., 1942-08-23
Capital Side|iehts
By Will P. Kennedy.

How do members of Congress accept
defeat? Many of them are expecting
it this year, and Representative Wilbur
Cartwright, chairman of the Committee
on Public Roads and dean of the Okla
homa delegation, gives an example OF
good sportsmanship. He has written an
open letter to his constituents: Many
want to know what am going to do. I
don't know, but 1 have asked President
Roosevelt to appoint me Ambassador Ex-
traordinary and Plenipotentiary to Shan
gri La. Shangri La may be in the IL
fusion Islands. If fail in that appoint
ment, maybe I can get in some Army
corps. You heard of the little worm that
wanted to do his bit, so he joined the ap-
pie corps. Seriously I appreciate the in
terest OF my all-weather friends They
are as true and loyal as ever walked the
earth. OF course. no one likes to be de-
feated, but there are lots of things that
could be worse. will admit that I have
been down in the mouth, but Jonah was
down in the mouth and he came out all
right. am not afraid but what will
COME out all right in the end One Of the
greatest blessings In life is alteration and
change. The ins become the outs; the
outs, ms; the ups become downs, the
downs. ups, ETC., and so on, and 1t is
better 50. I don't get too highly elated
at success, for life Is not all success. We
must not grow too downcast from failure,
for life is not all failure. 1t has been said
that when disaster overtakes us, we can
do one Of two things-we can grin and
bear it, or we needn't grin. I'm grinnin'.
A clear conscience gives light. With It,
can sit in the sunshine. Without it, I
would sit in a rayless prison.
Give me the courage, wounded, to fight,
Flood me with knowledge, drench me
with light.
"P. S.-A man doesn't get soft when
he comes up the hard way"
Cousin Bob" Mouton, former Repre-
sentative from Louisiana, returned to
Washington during the past week on a
In the Marine Corps, in which he served
overseas during the First World War as
volunteer, interpreter and intelligence
officer, was advanced to a lieutenancy
and held captaincy in the Reserves. He
previously had been commissioned by
the State Department as aide to the re-
celver Of customs in Haiti, and was coll
If ,cfo ot
mayor and postmaster at his home town,
Lafayette, before coming to Congress,
and owns and operates large azalea and
camilla japonica gardens. Cousin Bob
told us the story Of Julien de Lallandre
Poydras, the first delegate to Congress
from the Territory of Orleans, later the
State of Louisiana. Poydras was born
in Nantes, France, served in the French
Navy, was captured by the British in
176O, escaped on West Indian mer-
chairman to San Domingo, whence he
emigrated to New Orleans. He wrote
the first poeticaI work ever printed In
Louisiana. He was President of the
first Legislative Council of the Territory
OF Orleans and president Of the first
State Constitutional Convention and
voted for Madison and Gerry. He
founded the female orphan asylum in
New Orleans and founded and endowed
the Poydras Asylum. He became mer-
chant prince, exporter and importer with
offices in all the world capitals He had
more than 40 large plantations and
thousands OF slaves. His ships sailed
the seven seas and he became fabulously
wealthy He had an historic romance
as result OF which thousands of young
women have received a considerable
dowry for their weddings.