Judge Kinne For The Hague

JUDGE KINNE FOR THE HAGUE

As a Result of His Conference With the President

DISTINGUISHED JURIST

Said to be Slated for a Foreign Mission - His Friends Here Greatly Delighted Over the Announcement

The conference held at the White House last Saturday, between the President and the Hon. Judge Kinne, of this city, has resulted in a dispatch being sent out by the Washington correspondents slating the Judge for the appointment of minister to the Hague.

Judge Kinne had quite a long talk with the President but would not say what it was about. A friend of the judge says, however, that the latter told him some time ago that aside from a place on the bench there is only one office he would care to fill, and that is the office of minister to The Hague, now held by Stanford Newell, of Minnesota, who succeeded Wm. E. Quinby of Detroit.

This circumstance, taken with last Saturday's summons, lends color to the story that the president may contemplate giving Judge Kinne The Hague mission. Newell has held it for four years.

The well known Michigan jurist, the announcement of whose possible appointment to the Hague was received here with a great deal of pleasure by the members of the bar and others, is judge of the twenty-second judicial circuit, embracing Washtenaw and Monroe counties. He was born at DeWitt Centre, now East Syracuse Onondaga county, N.Y., Feb. 9, 1842. His father, Julius C. Kinne, was a native of that state and a farmer by occupation. He was for a number of years a member of the state legislature and was married to Rachel W. Wetherby, who was also a native of New York state. For a time he was educated at the public schools and subsequently the Syracuse high school, up to the age of fifteen years, when he commenced preparation for college at the Cazenovia Seminary, New York. From here he graduated in 1860 and entered the University of Michigan.

CAME TO THIS CITY.

He graduated from the classical department of the university in 1864, and going to Washington, D.C., he entered the employ of the government in the diplomatic bureau of the treasury department, and also took up the study of law at the Columbia Law school, in Washington. He retained this position for a period of three years and graduated from the law school in 1867, when he was admitted to practice at the bar of the District of Columbia. Soon afterward he resigned his position under the government and coming to Michigan, he located at Ann Arbor where he opened an office and began practice. He formed a co-partnership with the Hon. Olney Hawkins, which continued until 1869. Subsequently he was for a time in partnership with Messers. Coleman & Root but since 1870 he has been alone.

In 1869 he was elected city recorder and held that office for two terms. In 1871 he became city attorney, to which office he was appointed three successive terms. He was elected mayor of the city in 1876 and re-elected the following year. In 1879 he was sent to the lower house of the state legislature by the republican party of his district, and while a member of that body was chairman of the committee on private corporations, and a member of the judiciary committee. In 1887 he was elected judge of the twenty-second judicial circuit of Michigan, entering upon the duties of that office, Jan. 1, 1888.

He is one of the few active and successful practitioners who have been able, through a long and successful practice, so to conduct the varied and complex interest submitted to his management, that his integrity has never been questioned. As a trial lawyer he has few equals, ready to take advantage of any error, master of any principle of the law involved in the case, an accurate reader of human character and withal a jurist of whom the state is well proud.

HIS FRIENDS GRATIFIED.

Some of those who have known Judge Kinne intimately since he has been judge of this circuit have expressed themselves as most gratified over his possible appointment as minister to the Hague. Here is what they said when the Washington dispatch, telling of the matter, was shown to them.

Attorney M. J. Cavanaugh- The judge would make a first rate man for the office. It would be hard to get a man to fill his place on the circuit bench here, however.

Attorney W. W. Wedemeyer- I'd like to see Kinne get it. He would make a splendid representative of the country abroad.

Arthur Brown, attorney- The only reason I would not want him to have it is that we would lose him here. No better man, however, could be selected for the post

Attorney Thomas D. Kearney- The appointment would be all right, but if Kinne should go it would be a serious loss to the county.

City Clerk Harkins- Couldn't get a better man. He's fitted in every way for the place.

Justice Gibson- He would make an able, shrewd diplomatic representative of the United States anywhere. But I should prefer he would be appointed nowhere unless perhaps the supreme court of the state.

Judge Wm. D. Harriman- It would be a splendid appointment. l hope the judge will gel it, but I hardly think the salary is large enough for him to accept it.

Prosecuting Attorney Duffy- It would be a fitting tribute. One that is well deserved. Don't know a man who could be named for the place who would be better equipped for the duties or whose appointment would give better satisfaction.

Chas. A. Ward- I consider Judge Kinne a very capable man for the position. His place on the bench here will be hard to fill.

John Lawrence- It would be a fine appointment for Judge Kinne, but I should hate to see him leave Ann Arbor.

Judge N. W. Cheever- Judge Kinne would fill a position of this kind with marked ability. He is a man of broad culture and his experience as a judge and a lawyer will tend to prepare him to fill successfully any position of this kind.

Frank C. Jones- He is a man who is perfectly capable of filling any position requiring diplomacy. He is the most diplomatic man I have ever met. It would certainly be a suitable and fitting recognition both from a political and business standpoint, if his services to the party were to be thus recognized by the president.