In the case of Collins v. Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1913, the U.S Supreme Court upheld a decision by the Kentucky Court of Appeals that convicted William Collins for violating state liquor laws. The defendant was charged with illegally transporting and selling alcoholic beverages across county lines where alcohol sales were prohibited. He argued that his conviction violated his rights under both federal commerce law and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause because he had obtained a federal license to sell liquor, which should supersede state law. However, the court ruled against him stating that while Congress has control over interstate commerce, it does not have authority over intrastate transactions or activities within individual states' borders unless they interfere with interstate commerce directly or indirectly; thus upholding states' rights to regulate alcohol within their boundaries.

In the dissenting opinion for Collins v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a state law prohibiting interracial marriage violated both due process and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. The dissent contended that such laws were based on racial prejudice and served no legitimate governmental interest. They further asserted that these laws infringed upon individual liberty by denying people the right to marry whom they choose, regardless of race. Moreover, they believed this prohibition created an unequal system where white individuals could marry anyone they wished while non-white individuals faced restrictions based solely on their race - a clear violation of equal protection principles. Therefore, in their view, such laws should be struck down as unconstitutional.