In the case of Bone v. Commissioners of Marion County, 1919, the U.S Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a county in Indiana could legally issue bonds for road construction without voter approval. The plaintiff argued that this action violated both state law and his Fourteenth Amendment rights by increasing his tax burden without due process or equal protection under the law. However, the court ruled against him on both counts. It found no violation of state law because it held that counties have broad powers to manage their affairs unless specifically restricted by statute; and there was no such restriction here regarding bond issuance for public improvements like roads. As for his constitutional claim, it concluded that taxes are not considered "property" protected by due process clause nor does an increase in taxes necessarily violate equal protection principle as long as it's based on a reasonable classification scheme which is within legislative discretion.

In the dissenting opinion for Bone v. Commissioners of Marion County, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a law allowing county commissioners to appoint public defenders without competitive bidding violated principles of fairness and transparency in government contracting. The dissenting justices believed that such appointments should be subject to open competition, as this would ensure the best possible legal representation for indigent defendants while also preventing potential corruption or favoritism in the appointment process. They further contended that by upholding this law, the court was effectively endorsing a system where public contracts could be awarded based on personal relationships rather than merit or qualifications. This they saw as contrary to both democratic values and sound governance practices.