In the case of Taylor and Marshall v. Beckham, 1899, the U.S Supreme Court was asked to decide on a dispute over Kentucky's gubernatorial election results. The Republican candidates, William S. Taylor and John Marshall contested that they were rightful winners despite allegations of voting irregularities in certain counties which led to their Democratic opponents - William Goebel and J.C.W Beckham being declared victors by the state legislature after a recount. They argued that this decision violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights as it deprived them of property without due process of law since they had already assumed office based on initial results. The court however ruled against Taylor and Marshall stating that federal courts do not have jurisdiction over political matters such as these unless there is clear violation or threat to civil liberties under federal law; hence it could not intervene in what was essentially a state matter concerning electoral disputes. It further stated that holding public office did not constitute property rights protected under the Fourteenth Amendment thus dismissing their claim.

In the dissenting opinion for Taylor and Marshall v. Beckham, Justice Harlan argued that the majority's decision to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds was incorrect. He contended that this dispute over who rightfully won Kentucky's gubernatorial election had significant constitutional implications, thus warranting federal intervention. Harlan believed that if a state court could decide an election outcome based on its own interpretation of state law without any possibility of federal review, it would undermine citizens' rights under the U.S Constitution. Furthermore, he expressed concern about potential abuses of power by states in determining their own electoral processes and outcomes without oversight or checks from higher authorities like Supreme Court. Therefore, he disagreed with his colleagues’ refusal to hear this case as it might set a dangerous precedent where states could potentially manipulate elections results unchecked.