In the case of Davis and Rankin Building and Manufacturing Company v. Barber, 1894, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Barber. The dispute arose when a boiler exploded at Davis and Rankin's factory causing injury to an employee named Barber who was not directly involved with operating or maintaining the boiler. The court held that employers have a duty to provide safe working conditions for their employees regardless of whether they are directly involved with dangerous machinery or not. This ruling established important precedent regarding employer liability for workplace injuries under common law principles of negligence.

In the dissenting opinion for Davis and Rankin Building and Manufacturing Company v. Barber, Justice Brewer argued that the majority's decision to uphold a state law requiring employers to pay wages weekly was an overreach of government power into private affairs. He believed it was not within the purview of a state legislature to dictate how often employees should be paid by their employer, as this is typically determined through mutual agreement between both parties involved in employment contracts. Furthermore, he contended that such legislation could potentially harm businesses by imposing unnecessary financial burdens on them. In his view, if states were allowed to regulate wage payments in this manner, they might also begin dictating other aspects of business operations which could further infringe upon individual liberties and free enterprise principles.