Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-10
His Last Speech.

1t was only last Tuesday, the day on
which Mr.. Grain caught the severe cold
which was the cause of his death, that he
defended most earnestly, on the floor of the
House, the appropriations for the cilarita-
bic institutions of the District. The propo-
siticn was to withhold the appropriation
for st. AIMS Infant Asylum. on the ground
that it was a sectarian institution, and
Mr.. Grain made most eloquent impromptu
plea for the Sisters of Charity.
Going hack thirty or thiyty-hve years. -
said he, "a war was Waged for the diSSo-
luton of this Union. Soldiers innumerable
on both sides of Mason and Dixon's line
fiocked tc the standards of What they con-
sidered right. The reverberations of can
non echoed down the valleys Of Virginia.
Swords and muskets asserted their suprem-
acy. Brother fought against brother; SOL
der On one side against soldier the
other. AS the soldiers went down on the
side of the Union, there came upon the bat
tlefields the white-winged messengers of
peace, rohed in the raiments of mercy and
charity, aid many a parched tongue and
parched throat accepted the ministrations
of those pure, beautiful creatures, who pro-
tected by soldiers and officers. as we'll as
by the President of the United States, the
great, grand and lamented Lincoln, came
and ministered to them. Was there any
question then on the part of the gentleman
from Nebraska as to granting those ennis
SarieS of mercy a commission to fulfill their
errand to those soldiers? Did he then, or
did those whom he now represents, rise in
their might and protest against the charita-
BILE work of those angelic forms in human
shape? No, Mr.. Chairman, not one word
of protest was uttered then. Yet the rep
resentatives Of the descendants of the men
who were assisted by those lovely women
come here today and protest in the name
of what? Infidelity against religion.
I'm view of the fact that this committee
has put on record its vote in favor of the
co, 4, NIoAi
for the Relief Of the Destitute Colored Wo-
men and Children Cfor which l voted)-in
view of the fact that that is an assertion
on our part that the institution is not pri-
vate in its character and Is non-sectarian,
although, according to the statement of the
chairman of the committee on appropria-
tions it is in no wise different from the
one now before US for consideration, fail
to see how republican brethren can
vote against the appropriation"
Sketch of His Career.
Mr.. Grain was fcrty-seven years old last
November. He was born at Galveston, and
after his education, studied law and began
practice in 1871, since which time he has
been at the bar continuously. At the time
he was elected to Congress, in 1884, he
has said he enjoyed a practice which
brought him not less than $4,000 a year.
He was very successful as lawyer, and
his earnings, until Congress absorbed so
much of his time, were large. He had an
nounced to his constituents last year that
he should not be candidate for reelection
to Congress, as he desired to return
to the active practice of the law
In private conversation he always regretted
that he had ever consented to be sent to
Congress. It was his intention to return to
his home at Cuero, Texas, and practice
law with his son, Frank Grain, who has
for several years been engaged with the
firm of Proctor & Proctor, at that place.
During the time he was in Congress he
was nominally partner in the law firm,
of Kleberg & Grain of Cuero. This was
Mr.. Crair's old firm, but for ten years he
had neither participated in the active bus
mess of the office nor received any income
from it, simply lending his name to his old
friend, Judge Kleberg.
Mr.. Grain leaves a widow and five chill
drer. Two of his sons are students at ST.
Edwards College, Austin, Texas. His fam
lily were promptly notified of his death, but
it is not expected that they will come to
Washington on account of the long journey
A Natural Orator.
Representative Grain was man of un-
usual natural gifts. He was well equipped
for q legislator, was a natural orator quick
ly mastered a subject which he undertook
to study and could present a proposition
with wonderful force and clearness. Like
most brilliant men, he was impulsive and
emotional, and was often turned aside from
the serious consideration of things by mat
ters which would not have influenced g