In the 1892 case Hedden v. Richard, the U.S. Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a certain type of cotton fabric could be classified as "colored" under tariff laws, which would subject it to higher duties than uncolored fabrics. The plaintiff, George W. Richard had imported some cotton cloth and argued that it should not be considered colored because its coloration was achieved through a process of bleaching rather than dyeing or printing. However, the defendant Collector of Customs at New York Port disagreed and imposed higher duties on the goods based on their classification as colored fabrics. The court ruled in favor of the defendant by upholding that any fabric having color other than its natural hue is deemed 'colored' for purposes of tariff laws regardless how such coloring has been obtained - either by dyeing or bleaching processes.

The dissenting opinion in the Hedden v. Richard case is not available or was not recorded. The Supreme Court's decision, which ruled that tomatoes should be classified as vegetables for tariff purposes despite being botanically fruits, was unanimous and did not feature any noted dissents from the justices involved.